Divided we Stand
by CidGregor
Summary: Co-write w/Dragonshadow. Ash returns from Sinnoh to find a very different Kanto waiting for him. Strange new laws have banned keeping and training Pokemon entirely. Trainers who resist are branded as fugitives. And only Ash and Co can find out why... AAML
1. Prologue: Cerulean Falls

**Divided we Stand**

by CidGregor and Dragonshadow

**Rated T**

* * *

_Prologue: Cerulean Falls_

* * *

"This can't be happening…my gym…this can't be happening…"

Already it was almost unrecognizable from the cool, inviting building that the young woman had come to think of as home over the years of her life. No longer did it look like the building she had grown up with alongside her sisters. No longer did it resemble the steadfast checkpoint of the Indigo League. No longer was it anything like the place that so many of her precious Pokémon had called home just as much as she herself had.

No. Big chain-link fences surrounded it now, ugly and repelling. Dozers and trucks lumbered around, grinding their tires carelessly through the once-beautiful flower gardens. Orange signs everywhere declared the building off-limits to everyone who wasn't dressed in construction gear. Instead of being inside enjoying a good battle or water show, the crowds were amassed around the young redhead, watching the landmark of their city slowly but surely being defiled.

"Misty…"

The girl felt a trio of hands touch her shoulders, recognized the voice of her oldest sister, Daisy, felt all three of her sisters try to hug her and make her feel better. But she didn't react to their presence much at all. She was too busy watching in horror and despair as the vehicles tore the grounds around her precious gym to pieces, and gruff-looking men in hard hats hauled into the building a crate clearly marked as full of explosives.

"We didn't do anything…it's not fair…"

"I know, Misty…" Daisy murmured. "But it'll be okay…"

"No it won't…" Misty whispered. "It'll never be okay…"

"I'm sure it will," Daisy insisted, visibly trying hard to stay positive. "The Ban can't possibly last forever, and then we'll re-open the gym, bigger and better than ever, you'll see…"

"It won't be the same!" Misty snapped, conversely trying hard not to cry in front of everyone. "It'll never be the same! It won't be home!"

"…Misty…"

Misty didn't bother to apologize for shouting at her sisters, or indeed say anything at all. She just continued to watch, clutching her backpack to her chest and feeling the little round capsules rolling around inside. All her Pokémon, sealed away in their balls…she wondered if they suspected why she'd called them all back…if they had any idea their home was no longer a welcoming place, that it was not going to be there for more than another few minutes. They probably didn't have a clue. If they did, they certainly wouldn't be patiently sitting in their Poké Balls waiting for Misty to call them out again. They'd force their way out. They'd stand and fight to protect their home. It was an almost admirable thought in Misty's mind.

But no. That couldn't happen. There was no way she would risk her Pokémon being seen in public. She cared too much about them to let them do that. Not now. Not while…

"Misty?"

Her thoughts came back down to earth at the sound of another woman's voice. It was different from her sisters, but still somehow familiar in Misty's ears. She half-turned to see who it was, and promptly froze, clutching her bag tighter and going pale.

"O-Officer Jenny…"

Indeed, standing just behind Misty and her sisters was a tall, slender, green-haired woman dressed in a police officer's uniform, her expression stern and yet compassionate at the same time. It was a face Misty had known since she was a little girl…but she had never been so frightened by it.

"Daisy, Violet, Lily…nice to see you again," Jenny greeted the other sisters formally, nodding slightly at each of them before her eyes settled back on Misty. "And Misty…I'm terribly sorry. I know what you must be going through…"

"You have _no idea_ what I'm going through," Misty snapped back before she could stop herself, hanging onto her bag like her life depended on it.

Fortunately for her, Officer Jenny was willing to let it slide. "I guess you know why I'm here…"

"How can you just go along with this?!" Misty suddenly burst out. "How can you be a PART of this?! It's not fair! I've never done anything wrong!"

"I'm sorry, Misty, I really am, but I don't make the laws. And even if I don't like them, it's my job to enforce them," she said, a hand going to her belt and clicking open a Poké Ball. A brief burst of light shot out of the little orb, materializing a moment later into the shape of a small, four-legged Pokémon with black, white and orange fur. It pawed at the ground once and showed its teeth to the sisters, growling softly.

Misty glared almost angrily at the two of them. "So you enforce the laws, but you don't have to abide by them, is that it?!"

"I'm sorry, Misty," Jenny said, and looked to the Pokémon at her feet. "Alright, Growlithe, you know what to do. Sniff 'em out."

"Growlithe!" the little Pokémon announced, approaching Misty and instantly sniffing right up to the bag she was clutching. It sniffed a few more times and pawed at the bag, its tail wagging rapidly. "Growww!"

Jenny nodded. "I thought so…"

"Jenny, don't do this!" Misty pleaded, stepping back a bit from the Growlithe. "You have to know this is wrong, you HAVE to!"

"Misty, I don't like it at all, either, but the law is the law, and as long as it stays that way, I have to enforce it. There's nothing I can do…"

"I don't care about stupid laws…!" Misty nearly sobbed. "Just please…please don't take my Pokémon away…"

For a moment Jenny almost looked like she would be affected by Misty's words. She even withdrew Growlithe back to its Poké Ball, giving Misty the barest glimmer of hope.

But then she turned, her words coming out firm and authoritative as she mounted her motorcycle. "The station has a thorough record of all the Pokémon you keep at Cerulean Gym. You have until six o'clock this evening to gather them all together and report to the Cerulean Precinct for registration and confiscation."

"……" Misty stared in horror, barely believing the words.

Jenny glanced at her once more, compassion leaking into her eyes for a moment. "…I'm already risking my own neck to give you that long. But you're my friend…and that's the best I can do for you. Use the time while you have it, Misty…to say goodbye."

And just like that, the compassion was gone, the firm, tough police-woman mask back in place she kicked the engine into gear and sped off, leaving Misty in her wake, frozen by the cold reality she could no longer evade.

_**Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.**_

_**BOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Misty nearly leapt out of her skin, whirling around to face the fence again and going completely white. "No…NOOOOO!"

But it did no good. She could only watch as the entire foundation of the building within seemed to tremble and quake. There was no fire, no giant plume of smoke rising from the wreckage…just the quiet rumble of the earth as the center of the roof crumbled, and then more of it, like a slowly-expanding circle, until each of the outer walls fell inward on itself, snapping and cracking like twigs.

Misty fell to her knees, no longer able to hold in the sobs. It hadn't seemed real before that moment…like it was some horrible dream that she was surely going to wake up from. But as she sat there on the filthy ground, embraced by her sisters and staring at the pile of rubble that was once their home and livelihood, the reality of it all finally set in.

Cerulean Gym had fallen.

* * *

Comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated.


	2. An Unwelcome Welcome

**Divided we Stand**

by CidGregor and Dragonshadow

**Rated T**

* * *

_Chapter One: An Unwelcome Welcome_

* * *

Pallet Town.

Boy, it felt like ages since he'd been back here.

Ash Ketchum stood at the crest of a familiar tall hill overlooking the small, humble town that he called home. Once upon a time he'd walked this very hilltop as he began his Pokémon journey, tugging a reluctant Pikachu alongside him with a leash and rubber gloves. And now the two of them were inseparable friends with countless battles and experiences under their belts and just as many fond memories. Funny how things worked out like that, he thought.

Ash glanced over to his left shoulder, where the very same Pikachu sat and smiled at him. Pikachu had really grown a lot since the day they met. Initially they hadn't been on very friendly terms…the both of them were so stubborn, they'd clashed immediately and often. But ever since the encounter with the Spearow flock, that changed. Pikachu fought for Ash without question, trusted him completely, and had helped him through so many battles to victory. The little Pokémon had trained both body and mind on a daily basis, slimmed down and powered up, battled and won against opponents that most trainers would call impossible odds. Ash generally didn't like to play favorites with his Pokémon, and he of course tried his best to treat them all equally…but it was always clear that there was no Pokémon he cared for more than Pikachu.

"Glad to be home again, buddy?" Ash asked, smiling back.

"Pi, pika!" Pikachu answered, forming one paw into a 'peace' sign.

"Heh, you aren't the only one," Ash chuckled.

"I gotta admit, I'm pretty eager to see home, too."

Ash turned toward the third voice with a thankful smile. "You really don't have to stop in with me, Brock. If you want to see your family you should go on ahead."

Brock waived off his long-time travelling companion's words with a laugh. "Are you kidding? And miss a night of your mom's cooking? I like to think I'm a pretty good cook myself, but I've got nothing on her."

Ash laughed in return as they started walking down the hill and toward town. "Heh, yeah, nothing quite like mom's cooking, is there?"

"No argument there. And it'll be nice to see Professor Oak and Misty and everyone again. I've been meaning to show the professor a new Pokémon food recipe I've been working on…"

"Yeah, that'll be great," Ash agreed, and nudged Brock jokingly. "Just promise you won't fight with Mr. Mime again over who gets to help around the house."

"Hey, I can't help it. I'm a gentleman, and a true gentleman always helps a lady," Brock insisted with a hand to his heart.

"Uh…heh, sure, Brock, whatever you say…"

"Chuu…" Pikachu announced, stomach rumbling audibly at the talk of food.

Ash chuckled again. "Sounds like someone's getting hungry," he said, patting Pikachu's head. "Don't worry, buddy, we'll be home in a flash and everyone can get some great food. And I can tell mom all about the Sinnoh region, too!"

"I'm sure she'll love to hear it. You did really well out there, Ash."

Ash rubbed the back of his head modestly. "Aww, thanks, Brock. But I just did my best, it was nothing special. I was more impressed by Dawn. She did pretty good for her first big Pokémon adventure."

Brock nodded in agreement. "She really did. And going through Hoenn and Johto, she'll only get better."

"Yeah…too bad she didn't want to come with us. She and Misty would probably make pretty good friends."

Brock laughed a bit. "I think Misty is more likely to be jealous."

"Huh? Jealous? Why do you say that, Brock?"

Brock waved him off, still laughing. "Oh, no reason…"

Ash scratched his head in confusion for a moment, but let it slip out of his mind as they came within the city limits and he caught notice of an unfamiliar sign posted by the side of the road into town. It looked fairly official, except for the fact that it had been drawn over rather grotesquely with bright green graffiti.

"Huh…?" Ash wondered aloud, staring at the signpost. "That's strange, I've never seen that there before…"

Brock turned to look as well, frowning slightly. "Hmm…I've never seen graffiti around this town before, either…"

"You think there's gangs or something around town now…?"

"Not sure…but someone certainly didn't like what that sign had to say."

"Well then, let's see what's so bad about it," Ash decided, jogging up to the sign. Brock nodded and followed right behind, and he, Ash and Pikachu all peered closely at the sign to read it together:

.

**NOTICE TO ALL CITIZENS AND VISITORS OF KANTO**

**Due to heightened Pokémon-related criminal activity,  
a temporary ban is currently in place on all Pokémon  
battles throughout the region, in accordance with the  
Saffron Legislation. All Pokémon gyms are hereby  
closed until further notice. Anyone caught engaging  
in a Pokémon battle or openly carrying a Pokémon  
as anything other than a pet will be arrested on sight,  
and any Pokémon being carried will be confiscated.  
This ban will remain in effect until the ruling on the  
Silph Act. Please be sure to abide by the rules of the  
ban until then.**

**Thank you for your cooperation,**

**- The Indigo Conference Pokémon League**

.

"WHAT?! A BAN on Pokémon battles?!" Ash echoed in shock.

"Pika pi?!" Pikachu exclaimed as well.

"Wow…that's pretty heavy," Brock murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"That doesn't make any sense at all!" Ash burst out. "Why would the Indigo League do something like that? And what's this baloney about Pokémon crime?!"

"That part's not baloney, Ash," Brock corrected him. "Didn't you watch the news reports on the ferry ride back to Kanto?"

"Uhh…no?"

Brock sighed. "It's true. In the last couple of months, there's apparently been a big surge in people using Pokémon for crime."

"Pokémon for crime? Sounds like Team Rocket's doing to me…"

Brock shook his head. "There's been no report of Team Rocket being involved. It's just one big crime wave all across Kanto. Armed robbery, grand theft auto, home break-ins…people were getting really panicked, and demanding that the government do something about it. Last I heard they were planning a meeting of some sort in Saffron City, between the town mayors, the Kanto national government, and the Indigo League. Maybe that meeting has something to do with this 'Saffron Legislation.'

"That's ridiculous!" Ash shouted. "There's no way they'd decide to ban Pokémon battles!"

"Calm down, Ash, it says it's only temporary. Until they decide on this… 'Silph Act' thing."

"And what the heck is that?"

"I've never heard of it before. It must have come up while we were on foot between the ferry and whenever this sign was put up…"

"Well I'm getting to the bottom of this, right now!" Ash announced. "C'mon, Pikachu, let's go find mom and Professor Oak!"

"Pi, pikachu!" his friend announced, hopping to the ground and starting to dash ahead.

"Wait, Ash!" Brock stopped him, grabbing his shirt collar.

Ash whirled angrily. "What now? We gotta hurry!"

"I agree," Brock nodded, "but we gotta be smart about it, too. If that ban is as serious as it sounds, and the wrong people see Pikachu running around, or the Poké Balls on your belt, it might mean trouble."

"You want me to _hide_ them?!"

"Just put the Poké Balls in your backpack until we get inside. We can trust your mom and Professor Oak."

"But how am I gonna hide Pikachu? My backpack's not THAT big."

"You're not gonna like it, but the best place for Pikachu to hide is a Poké Ball."

"What?! No way! Pikachu hates that!"

"Chuuuu, chu chu…!" Pikachu agreed, looking rather unsettled by the idea already.

"It's just for a few minutes…we'll get back to your house as fast as we can. But if you don't, and any police officers see you two, they could arrest you and take Pikachu away."

"……" Ash felt an unpleasant lump in his stomach at those words, realizing the truth in them. Getting arrested wouldn't be a very good idea, and the last thing he wanted was to see Pikachu, or any of his Pokémon, be taken away. Brock was right, they needed to be hidden. In a flash his Poké Balls were safely tucked away in his backpack, save for one that remained in his hand, adorned with a tiny lightning bolt.

"…Cha…?" Pikachu murmured.

"…Brock's right, Pikachu," Ash admitted, kneeling down to meet Pikachu close to eye level and holding out the little orb. His index finger tapped the button on the front, expanding the ball to its full size, which made Pikachu seem to wince slightly and back away. "I know you hate it in there…but you gotta hide in your Poké Ball. I'm not gonna let anyone take you away from me."

Pikachu's wide, black eyes stared into Ash's. "…Pi…ka…?"

"It's just for a few minutes…just until we get home safe…please, Pikachu…someone could see us any minute, and I want you to be safe." Ash set the Poke ball down on the ground in front of Pikachu, making no move to force the issue on his long-time friend. "Please go inside the Poké Ball…"

Pikachu stared at the ball for a few heavy moments, and then up at Ash for just as long, as though trying to decide what to do.

Ash gave his companion a comforting smile. "…Please…let me keep you safe…"

Pikachu looked one more time at the ball, and for an agonizing moment Ash feared his friend would refuse. But eventually Pikachu gave a reluctant nod and reached out a paw for the button, gently pressing it. The ball opened, and in a brief flash of red and white light, Pikachu was gone, hidden away safely inside the Poké Ball.

"Ash…?" Brock probed gently.

"……"

"…It's for the best, Ash…c'mon, let's hurry to your house so you can let Pikachu out again."

Ash nodded, picking up the ball and slipping it out of sight. "Yeah…let's hurry."

"Right," Brock agreed, and the two of them broke into a jog, heading straight for the Ketchum home, and with any luck, some answers.

* * *

_Give up my Pokémon…? How…? How can anyone expect me to…?_

Misty's feet plopped down the central road through Cerulean City as the golden light of the sunset cast its glow across the buildings, her arms dangling at her sides while her backpack swayed gently against her back. The people around her turned to watch her, giving her a wary gaze as she passed. A few of them moved to follow her, wondering curiously just what she was doing. Misty had been the Cerulean Gym Leader, after all; with the Gym demolished, they probably hadn't expected to see her again. She made no move to look at them, however; her focus was inward.

_They're my friends…we've been through so much together…can I really just…hand them over? Why? Because some law says so…?_

Misty approached the police station slowly, instantly spotting Officer Jenny waiting out front. As she approached Jenny opened her eyes wider, then sighed in relief and pushed off from the wall to meet Misty in the middle of the parking lot out front.

"I'm glad you decided to see reason." Officer Jenny gave her a slight smile. "I was afraid you'd try to skip town. Now please, just hand over your Poké Balls and I promise I'll make this as painless as possible."

"……" Misty stood still as a statue, not saying anything.

"…Misty?" Jenny probed cautiously.

…_I can't…even if the law says so…I can't--…no, I WON'T give up my friends…!_

"…Misty, please, you have to turn over your Pokémon…"

"No," Misty announced defiantly, steeling her nerves and clenching her fists. Officer Jenny's eyes widened, but Misty didn't give her a chance to respond. "I won't let you take my Pokémon, no matter what. I just came to tell you that."

Jenny frowned and clenched her own fists. "You can't fight the law, Misty. Trainers are no longer allowed to keep Pokémon, it's just too dangerous."

"And what about the Pokémon?" Misty replied venomously. "It's not just the trainers you're hurting! Pokémon aren't pets or possessions that can just be taken from us, they're loyal companions and friends who would do anything for us! It would devastate them to be ripped away from us!" Misty narrowed her eyes confidently. "That was what Ash was saying the whole time I traveled with him…I don't think I ever really understood it until now…but he's right. My Pokémon are my friends, and I won't give them up!"

Jenny was silent for a moment before speaking again. "You know I have no choice." Her hand flashed to her Poké Ball, and in a surge of light a knee-high, orange-furred Pokémon appeared in front of her with a fearsome howl. The Growlithe glared at Misty, ready to snap at a moment's notice.

"We've been ordered to do whatever it takes to confiscate Pokémon from their trainers," Jenny warned. "Even if it means using our Pokémon against the trainers themselves."

"That's against the rules of a battle!" Misty pointed out.

"There are no more Pokémon battles, Misty," Jenny said softly, almost as if speaking through a haze of regret.

"…Fine…" Misty's hand moved to her own waist. "If that's the way you want it…a Pokémon war it is, then!" A flash of light erupted from one of the balls at her waist, rapidly coalescing into a ten-pointed star in front of her, then fading into the physical form of her Starmie. The red jewel in the center of its body pulsed with energy and determination, glowing in the orange sunset.

"Your Growlithe is outmatched, Officer Jenny!" Misty shouted. "Let me go and nobody has to get hurt."

"I can't do that." Jenny took up a determined stance, her expression hardening. "The law is the law."

"Well I'm not giving up," Misty growled. "Friends will do anything for each other, and I won't abandon my Pokémon any more than they will abandon me! Starmie…" Misty raised her hand toward the field, ready to give commands.

"Growlithe…" Jenny pointed towards the sky, ready to issue her own commands.

The Starmie spun in place like a saw blade, then suddenly launched itself forward like a shuriken at Misty's command. The Growlithe quickly responded, opening its jaws in a mighty roar that deafened the surrounding spectators. The water Pokémon wavered in mid-flight, suddenly gripped by a paralyzing fear that sent it hurtling off to one side. While it tried to reorient itself, the Growlithe opened its jaws again and howled into the air, its body pulsing with bright, fiery light. The darkening sunset seemed to get brighter than before, lighting up the sky as if it was midday.

"Come on Starmie, nail it with Water Gun!" Misty shouted into the fray. The Starmie steadied itself high in the air, then shot five of its points forward, sending a powerful stream of water toward its opponent. However, the heat from the powerful light turned most of it into mist the moment it appeared, leaving only a small trickle to strike the Growlithe on the nose, which it brushed off without difficulty.

"Nnhhh…this heat…" Misty murmured. "Sunny Day…it's weakening Starmie's attacks…"

"I'm an officer of the law, Misty, did you think I wasn't ready to take on any Pokémon?" Officer Jenny announced. "Growlithe, take it down!"

With another howl the Growlithe rushed forward and threw itself into the air after its levitating opponent. Starmie whirled easily out of the way and spun back around, slamming into Growlithe's side at Misty's insistence. The impact carried both Pokémon off to one side, hurtling them toward the spectators on the sidewalk. Many of them yelled in surprise and rushed out of the way as the combatants slammed down onto the pavement, barely missing one or two bodies.

Growlithe managed to spin them around to put itself on top, landing on the star-shaped Pokémon and opening its jaws wide. Before it could bring its jaws down, though, Starmie began to spin again, so fast it looked like it suddenly became a purple disc. The Growlithe clung desperately to its frame, but was soon thrown free, glancing off of a building wall into one of the cars parked beside the road. The car alarm blared as the Growlithe struggled back to its feet, and Starmie floated from the ground to right itself, facing its opponent once again. Though neither of them really noticed, those previously watching the battle were beginning to flee from the scene, realizing that this wasn't the carefully controlled battle they were used to watching. The rules had been revoked, and suddenly the consequences of a loss seemed much more dire.

Starmie's gem pulsed with light, which quickly shaped into a flurry of shining stars that shot toward its opponents. The Growlithe seemed to relax its body for a moment, preparing itself to suddenly leapt though the stream of stars, weaving through them without touching them and rushing straight up in front of Starmie. Fire engulfed Growlithe's body, spinning around it ferociously before pulsing forward the instant he reached his opponent, his body slamming into Starmie while the flames surged forth to engulf its body. Starmie flew back from the impact, slamming into the ground and sliding out into the middle of the road. Its jewel surged with pain as it floated up from the ground, blackened scorch marks covering its body.

"Starmie! Be careful!" Misty shouted. "I'm not giving up on you, and I won't let them take you! Do your best Water Gun!"

Starmie whirled in place again, all ten of its points turning inward to fire a massive blast of water toward Growlithe. The heat of the Sunny Day attack took its toll on the blast once again, however, evaporating most of the water the moment it emerged. The burst of fire from Growlithe's jaws ripped through the rest to engulf Starmie once again, forcing it to retreat even further, until it was standing just a few feet in front of Misty.

"You can end this right now, Misty!" Jenny shouted. "Don't make Starmie suffer any more!"

"I'll never give up! Starmie, get ready!" Misty clenched her fist. Starmie's gem blinked in acknowledgement and its body seemed to stiffen, the texture of its skin growing harder than before.

At Jenny's command, Growlithe charged forward again, flames bursting forth to spin around his body as he approached. Starmie stood its ground, the gem in the center of its body shimmering in the bright light until suddenly Misty screamed "Now!" Without warning Starmie seemed to shimmer just before the Growlithe slammed into it, knocking it back to slide across the street. Starmie's body continued to burn as it lay limp on the ground.

"Oh my God! Did we…" Officer Jenny rushed forward in shock. The powerful daylight faded from the sky in the time it took her to approach, leaving them engulfed in the little twilight that remained in the natural sky. She moved to stand beside Growlithe and her eyes went wide as she looked down at the burning puppet in front of her. "Wait… it's not real…it's a Substitu--"

"Water Gun!" Misty shouted from behind them. Jenny and Growlithe both whirled just in time to face the full force of Starmie's blast, powerful enough to send them both hurtling back. Growlithe howled and struggled weakly against the stream, but it couldn't resist the water, and its body slid back up against Jenny, who had finally come to a stop on the ground near the sidewalk. She reached out and pulled Growlithe's body up against hers, hugging it protectively.

"Growlithe!" Jenny tried to shield him from the torrent. "That's enough! He's had enough!"

Misty placed a gentle hand on her Pokémon and the water gun ended, leaving Jenny and Growlithe lying on the ground in front of them, dripping wet. "Hmph…so you'll try to beat MY Pokémon into submission, but as soon as yours takes a few licks you call it off? Is that it?!" Misty seethed.

"……" Jenny had no response to that, cradling her Growlithe's weakened body close to her own.

"We're leaving, Officer Jenny. We have something important to do."

"The police will be after you, Misty…" Jenny looked up at her, still cradling her Pokémon against her chest. "You'll be a fugitive."

"If that's what it takes to keep my Pokémon, then that's fine by me. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to meet Ash." Misty turned to Starmie, taking out her Poké Ball. "Good job, Starmie. Take a rest."

The Pokémon vanished into the ball in a stream of ruby light, and Misty turned to walk away, tucking the ball safety back onto her belt. The people of Cerulean City watched from a distance as she walked toward the city limits, stunned by the act of defiance they'd just seen. But Misty paid them no mind. To her, the only thing that mattered was getting to Pallet Town and meeting up with Ash…she'd figure out what to do after that when she got there.

_I just hope I didn't make the biggest mistake of my life back there…_

A moment later, she'd passed beyond the city limits, and was gone.

* * *

Comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated.


	3. A Strange New World

**Divided we Stand**

by CidGregor and Dragonshadow

* * *

_Chapter Two: A Strange New World_

* * *

"Hello? Mom?"

_Knock knock knock_.

"You home? Mom?"

_Knock knock knock_.

"Mom? Mr. Mime? Anyone?!"

Ash and Brock stood on the front porch of the Ketchum residence, a simple and modest home that only really stood out because of an exceptionally beautiful flower garden. Well, that, and the fact that it seemed to radiate a pleasant, inviting warmth, like anyone who passed by could stop in for a chat, or a meal, or a good night's sleep. It always seemed to be a cheery, lively and welcoming place.

Most of the time, anyway.

Right now, though, if Ash's frustrated and unanswered knocking was any indication, the house was dark, empty, and locked up. There was no sign of either his mother or her household helper Mr. Mime, a fact that Ash found rather unusual. One of them was usually home; either his mother would send Mr. Mime on an errand while she did various other chores around the house, or she would go somewhere herself and leave Mr. Mime to watch over things. Finding it empty was definitely odd, especially today; his mom knew he was on his way home, and so did Professor Oak and Misty, and they wouldn't miss his homecoming. Even May and Gary had said they might stop by for a visit. Why weren't any of them here?

"Strange…" Brock murmured, seeming to notice the same thing. "I wonder where they could have gone…"

"Maybe we're early…?" Ash wondered. "Maybe mom's shopping for everyone and she needed Mr. Mime to help carry it all…?"

Brock frowned slightly. "I'm not sure about that…your mom is usually better prepared than to wait until the last minute to shop for today, isn't she? And it doesn't explain where the others are, either…"

"Hmm…" Ash frowned as well, thinking hard.

"Do you have a key? Maybe we can look around inside."

"Oh!" Ash brightened slightly, looking over to one side of the porch. "Yeah, we keep a key hidden!"

"Perfect! Maybe there's some kind of clue to where everyone went!"

Ash nodded as he knelt down beside the door, his fingers working their way between two of the polished wooden boards making up the front porch. As he expected, one of them was loose, and moved easily as Ash got his fingers under it and lifted it out of the way. What he wasn't expecting, however, was to find not a key hiding underneath but a tightly-folded but rather new-looking slip of paper.

"What the…?" Ash marveled, pulling it out. "What's this?"

"Is something wrong?" Brock probed.

"The key's gone…and someone left this piece of paper in its place," Ash explained, starting to unfold it. "There's writing on it, too…"

"What does it say?"

Ash peered at the paper, reading it out loud. "Ash, if you've found this letter, then you're probably wondering where we are. Professor Oak feels that Mimey might not be safe at home because of the new laws, so we're staying with him for the time being. Meet us there. Love, Mom." He paused for a moment. "PS, you better be changing your--" Ash suddenly stopped, reddening. "Uh-…I mean, that's all it says! Whoops, guess she ran out of room!"

Brock paid it no mind. "Professor Oak, huh…that makes sense, the professor keeps a lot of Pokémon there. It wouldn't be very easy for anyone to just come and take away an entire ranch full of them. But one woman and her lone Mr. Mime by themselves would be a much easier target for someone trying to confiscate people's Pokémon. They're definitely safer at Oak's lab for now."

"Wait, what do you mean, 'safer'?!" Ash demanded. "My mom isn't a trainer, and she doesn't use Mr. Mime to fight! Why would anyone come after her?!"

"Call it a hunch…something tells me this new law situation is a lot worse than we think…"

"Then we better get over to Oak's lab on the double! C'mon!"

Brock nodded. "Right. Let's go."

The pair hurried on down the road, and a few short minutes later they were at the front gate to Professor Oak's laboratory. Just beyond it was a hillside path leading up to the lab compound itself, a small, modest building surrounded by wide-open plains for Pokémon to roam freely. Ash peered up the path, trying to see the ranch, but he couldn't see anything over the hillcrest, so instead he turned to the intercom mounted on the front gate and impatiently jabbed the buzzer several times.

"Hello?" Ash called into the speaker. "Anyone there? Professor Oak? Mom?"

The answer came almost immediately. "_Ash? Is that you, my boy?_"

"Yeah, it's me, Professor Oak!" Ash confirmed. "What's going on? Things are really weird around here…"

"_I take it you haven't heard, then…_" the voice of Professor Oak came back through the intercom._ "Well, it's a long story, so you better come inside. I'll open the gate for you…_"

"_Is that my baby?_" a new voice came through. "_Let me talk to him!_"

"_Augh…no, be careful with that, Delia!_"

"_Let me have it!_"

"_He'll be right up, just wait one mom—NO, don't touch tha--_"

The line cut off a second later, leaving Ash staring embarrassedly at the speaker. "Jeez, mom…"

"Come on, Ash, looks like they're pretty impatient to see us," Brock urged, walking through the now-open gate. "And once we get inside it should be okay to let Pikachu out again."

"Oh, yeah!" Ash realized, jolting into action at those words and rushing through the gate, making a beeline for the lab and pulling out the special lightning-bolt Poké Ball. The moment he grabbed it, though, he felt something rather odd that made him stop still for a moment: the ball was vibrating. No, that wasn't right…it was outright shaking. Like the ball was struggling to hold together while something viciously fought with it.

"Ash?" Brock said as he caught up. "What's wrong? Why'd you stop?"

"Pikachu…" Ash murmured, feeling a jab of guilt. "It's been longer than we said it would…"

Brock noticed the ball now as well. "Hmm…well, we're inside the professor's ranch…I guess it should be okay to let Pikachu out."

Ash nodded thankfully and hurried to press the release button on the ball. A flash of light and energy burst out from within, quickly forming into the shape of his Pikachu, who to Ash's further guilt looked very scared and upset for a moment.

"Piiiii Pikachu, chuuuu…!" Pikachu cried out, looking around wildly for a moment before seeming to realize the confines of the Poké Ball was gone, and the real world had returned.

"Hey, buddy…you okay…?" Ash asked, smiling apologetically.

Pikachu took several deep breaths, slowly relaxing and calming down before nodding. "Pikapi…"

"Sorry it took so long," Ash said, kneeling down on the ground beside his friend. "No one was home, so we had to come to Professor Oak's lab before it was safe to let you out…I hope you're not mad at me…"

"Chuu, pikapi…" Pikachu responded, and jumped up into Ash's arms to nuzzle his neck, clearly thrilled to be free.

"Heh…good…" Ash said with a smile and patted Pikachu's back.

"Well, well, Ash and Pikachu! Now there's a sight for sore eyes!"

Ash blinked in surprise, turning toward the voice. "Huh? Is that…? I know that voice…"

Indeed, a familiar brunette boy in purple clothes and a brown traveling cloak stood just outside the door to the lab, grinning at them. "Long time no see, Ash."

"Gary!" Ash exclaimed, breaking out into a grin at the sight of his friendly rival. "Wow, you made it!"

"Of course I made it," Gary Oak said with a smile. "I live here too, y'know."

"He arrived just before you did, Ash," came Professor Oak's voice, the elderly man walking outside as well and up behind his grandson. "And he's not the only one eager to see you…"

"Huh…?" Ash trailed off, looking past Professor Oak to see a taller woman with reddish-brown hair step outside next, a woman he immediately recognized as his mother. "Mom!" he shouted with a smile.

"ASH!" the excited Delia Ketchum squealed, rushing up to give him a suffocating hug. "Oh, it's so GOOD to have you home, honey!"

"Heh…glad to be home, mom…"

"And there's little Pikachu, the cutie!" she added cheerfully, patting Pikachu's head. "And Brock, it's lovely to see you again too!"

Brock gave her a smile and a friendly wave. "Thanks, I've been looking forward to coming back here again."

"You happened to come at a rather unusual time," Professor Oak said. "Even so, I'm glad you all got home safe."

"Ah, it was no trouble, gramps!" Gary assured him, and turned back to Ash with a teasing grin. "I always was a step ahead of Ash."

"Hah, as if! Don't forget who beat you in the Johto conference!" Ash threw back with a smirk.

"You beat me once after a string of crushing defeats and suddenly you're the tough guy, are you, Ashy boy?" Gary smirked back.

"You want to see if that 'once' holds up?!" Ash clenched his fists, the old nickname getting his blood pumping. "Come on, one more!"

"Er, I don't think that's such a good idea…" Oak tried to get between them, but neither of the boys paid him any mind.

"I'd love to, Ashy boy," Gary grinned.

"Really boys, this is—" Professor Oak was interrupted again.

"Fine! Just let me make some adjustments and I'll meet you out back in the research field!" Ash shouted vigorously.

"You're on!" Gary shouted back, and without another word the two boys had vanished into Oak's laboratory.

"Oh my…" Delia smiled nervously.

Professor Oak hung his head. "Ah, youth…"

* * *

A few minutes later, Ash stood in the middle of a small field behind Professor Oak's laboratory, where the professor's Pokémon all roamed. A few of the wild ones stopped at the edge of the dense forests behind the lab to watch the two humans with curious gazes, but most of the Pokémon actually belonged to the two trainers, and soon Ash caught sight of his Bulbasaur in particular, peeking out of the brush with a surprised and gleeful expression on his face.

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur burst from the foliage and bounded up the hill.

"Bulbasaur, hey!" Ash shouted as his old friend came rushing up to him. Even Pikachu let out a delighted squeal as one of their very first companions bounded up to them. Ash got down on one knee to pat the thick green bulb on his back. "It's been a while! You look good!" Bulbasaur smiled and nuzzled his cheek against Ash's hand. "Professor Oak tells me you've been a great help around the lab."

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur beamed with pride.

"Is this reunion day or something?" Gary quipped, though his voice lacked the venom that it had back in his dedicated trainer days. "I thought we were going to have a battle here."

"Bulb?" Bulbasaur looked back at Gary in surprise, then looked up into Ash's face. His bright red eyes gleamed for a moment before he nodded and dropped away from Ash, turning to face Gary.

"You want to battle with me? All right!" Ash stood up straight and faced Gary with a proud, powerful pose. "Just like the old days!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur dropped into a low stance on all four legs.

"Well this should be interesting," Gary said, and reached into his belt to retrieve a Poké Ball, which rapidly expanded in his palm. "Let's see if this seed can beat my steel! Go Scizor!" Gary threw his ball onto the field, where it exploded into a flash of light that coalesced in the air in front of him. It soon solidified into a form taller than either of the two trainers, its sleek red hide shining in the powerful afternoon sun like solid steel. Its wings made a sharp buzzing sound against its back while a pair of pincer-like claws snapped together at its sides with metallic clangs.

"Hmm…your Scizor looks pretty tough, Gary…but Bulbasaur and I can take him!"

"I'll make you eat those words, Ash!"

Professor Oak, Ash's mother and Brock, meanwhile, emerged from the back of Oak's laboratory as the two Pokémon stared each other down. Delia gasped and put one hand over her mouth. "Shouldn't we stop this? What if someone sees?"

"I don't think we COULD stop them," Brock answered, crossing his arms over his chest. "They've always been at each others' throats, and I think they like it that way."

"I suppose if they must there's really no safer place," Professor Oak added as he shoved his hands into the deep pockets of his lab coat. "Still…it's a risk…especially now…"

"You mean with that temporary ban on battling?" Brock queried.

"I'm afraid it's much worse than that…" Oak said darkly. "Come inside…I'll explain everything…"

* * *

"So just how bad HAVE things gotten?" Brock asked, taking a seat in the professor's living room.

"It may very well change the lives of everyone living in Kanto, and perhaps beyond that border as well," Oak began. "You have heard some of it, yes?"

Brock nodded. "There were news reports on the ferry between here and Sinnoh, about a rise in criminal activity involving Pokémon…"

"Yes indeed. It's been quite the epidemic. Cities all over the region have been affected. Panic and paranoia was starting to set in. People demanded that something be done. Then, like an answer to their prayers, the Indigo League met with the Kanto government in Saffron City, and agreed to temporarily ban all Pokémon battles until a proper solution could be formed. They dubbed this motion the Saffron Legislation."

"Like the sign," Brock nodded along. "But it also mentioned something called the Silph Act."

"Mmm, yes. The Silph Act is the solution that was reached. The biggest summit meeting in Kanto's history was held at the Silph Co. building in Saffron City a few days ago. Between the Indigo League board of directors, the individual city mayors, and the Kanto central government, they decided that the only way to ensure that the Pokémon crime wave was halted…was to make the ban permanent."

Brock let out a surprised gasp. "Permanent?!"

"I'm afraid so. The Silph Act was written as a result of that decision. By its wording, not only would all Pokémon battles become outlawed, but the very act of keeping and training Pokémon would be illegal as well. A special task force would be established to patrol the cities and travel routes across Kanto to confiscate all Pokémon kept by registered trainers. They would be forced to turn over their Pokémon to the task force, and anyone who refused would be arrested. Even the Pokémon Gyms would be targeted."

Brock froze at that, standing up quickly. "What do you mean the Gyms would be targeted?!"

"Unfortunately, the summit believed that if the Gyms were allowed to remain, even if they were closed, they would somehow encourage trainers to defy the ban. So to prevent that from happening, the Silph Act also says that all Pokémon Gyms are to be shut down and demolished, immediately."

Brock felt a jolt of horror. "De…demolished?!"

"Yes…" Oak admitted. "And with pressure from the media and the citizens to come to a quick conclusion, the Silph Act has already been put to a vote…"

Brock's jaw dropped. "They didn't…?!"

"……" Oak nodded. "Yes. I'm afraid the Silph Act passed just yesterday."

"No…" Brock said with a clenched fist. "That's insane…they can't do this!"

"I'm afraid it's already being done, my boy. The demolishing of Gyms began today."

A pang of fear hit Brock at that. "Where?"

"Cerulean City."

"Misty's Gym?!"

Oak nodded. "It was on the morning news. I'm afraid that is why she couldn't be here today. I imagine she's quite distraught over the loss of her home. Word is they're moving west from there…"

"Oh no…that means Pewter City's next in line! I have to get there and stop it!"

"Now wait just a moment, Brock!" Oak insisted. "I'm sure you're worried about your family and their Gym, but you can't just run around freely anymore! It's dangerous to be a Pokémon trainer now! Every police officer in the region is looking for them, and since you're all registered trainers, they know exactly what to look for! If they see you…"

"I have to risk it…my family's going to be in danger, and I have to be there to help them!"

"You still shouldn't go alone--"

_**BOOOOOOOM!**_

An explosion somewhere outside suddenly rocked the compound, nearly sending both men tumbling off their feet and knocking more than a few photos and knick-knacks from their shelves.

"Ahhnn…" Brock grunted, looking wildly around. "What…what was that?!"

"No…I was afraid of this…!" Oak muttered, stumbling quickly toward the window.

"What? What's happening?!" Brock demanded, hurrying up beside him, but all they could make out were think clouds of smoke and curls of flame.

Oak, however, seemed to know exactly what was happening. "The ranch…" he said, pointing out the window. "They're attacking the ranch…"

* * *

"Okay Bulbasaur, let's do this! Razor Leaf!" Ash pointed toward his opponent with a swing of his finger. Bulbasaur shouted acceptance and a pair of long, green vines whipped out of the bulb on his back. They snapped back to the base of the bulb and ripped a string of leaves from the bulb, sending them spinning through the air toward the opposing Pokémon like a series of shuriken.

Scizor didn't even flinch as the blades struck its tough metal skin, shattering on impact without leaving so much as a scratch. Its fierce yellow eyes glinted as it moved into a low position, then threw itself forward, charging across the grass with a fast, light step. A powerful light surged through its right claw, which it brought forward in a massive overhand blow. Bulbasaur narrowly leapt out of the way in time before the claw came down, ripping into the ground so harshly that a wave of dirt was tossed into the air around them.

Bulbasaur twisted in mid-air, the bulb on his back pulsing for a moment before it erupted into a powerful string of shots. The seeds fired from the bulb like bullets, slamming full-force into Scizor's metal backside, to no great effect. The seeds sent sparks flying with every impact, yet left no lasting mark on the smooth metal hide. Scizor turned to face Bulbasaur again, taking the Bullet Seeds straight in the chest.

"Nothing's working…" Ash grunted in surprise as the attack faded away.

"Come on Ash, you've got to realize this is possibly the worst mismatch of all time," Gary pointed out. "Both Bug Pokémon and Steel Pokémon are strong against grass attacks, and that's all Bulbasaur specializes in. Just give it up."

Ash growled, those key words only making his blood boil even hotter. "We don't give up!"

"Bulbaaaa!" Bulbasaur shouted in agreement and launched himself into battle again. A vine lashed out from the bulb on his back, cracking sharply against Scizor's shoulder. The bug Pokémon barely jerked back before righting itself, but it barely had a moment to strike before Bulbasaur's second whip slammed into its chest, forcing it to take a step back. Emboldened by his minor victory Bulbasaur pressed on with another crack of his whip, but one of Scizor's pincers lashed out to intercept it. It knocked the whip away and spun in closer to Bulbasaur, one claw lashing out to slam into his head.

Bulbasaur hurled back through the air, but landed right side up on all four feet nearby. He shook his head clear, and then raised the bulb on his back to point the opening at his opponent. Without warning a single massive seed exploded from the bulb, hurtling through the air. On impact the seed's explosion engulfed Scizor in a cloud of smoke and fire, accompanied by a bang loud enough to momentarily deafen trainer and Pokémon alike.

Bulbasaur shouted in victory, baring his vines to the watching trainers, but his victory cry grew silent as the smoke cleared. Scizor was standing up straight in the middle of the smoke cloud, its arms folded across its chest. Its metallic skin was shimmering, reflecting the light of the sun like a statue crafted out of pure polished metal. Bulbasaur dropped back into a combat stance as Scizor once again began to move, its claws snapping at the air in preparation.

A soft growl emanated from Bulbasaur's throat as his bulb began to glow softly from the inside, the light from the air around it drawing into the leafy enclosure like dirt into a vacuum cleaner. Before he could unleash the blast, however, Scizor suddenly darted forward, its narrow legs bringing it within striking distance only seconds later. Its arms flew up, and then down again in a flash of glittering metallic light, slamming one after the other into the immobile grass-type.

Bulbasaur's feet clawed at the dirt as he slid back from the force of the impact, struggling to keep on his feet against the brutality of the blow while the light continued to build inside his bulb. Scizor continued after Bulbasaur, but it didn't reach the grass-type Pokémon before the bulb seemed to explode with energy. The energy surged out of the bulb like a massive wave of pure light, slamming into Scizor in mid-slash, exploding around it as it struggled to keep its ground.

For a few moments Scizor fought against the powerful SolarBeam, resisting the light that burned into its solid steel chest. The beam looked like it was working for a moment, but a blast so powerful couldn't be maintained for long, and soon it began to weaken until it faded from sight. Panting and exhausted, Bulbasaur lifted his head to look up at his opponent. Scizor's chest was blackened and smoking from the force of the beam, but its strength remained intact.

"Maybe Gary's right…" Ash shook his head.

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur howled and hurled himself up toward Scizor's chest without being issued a command, surprising everybody, especially his opponent. The blow sent Scizor reeling back off-balance, but Bulbasaur rebounded off of its steel chest like a ping pong ball, reeling back a bit himself.

"Bulbasaur! I didn't tell you to use Double-Edge! Stop it!" Ash shouted in surprise.

"Bulbasaaaauuur!" Bulbasaur ignored his trainer and threw himself again into Scizor's chest with an almost sickening crunch, sending the bug Pokémon reeling back and sending himself rebounding into the dirt. Bulbasaur picked himself up one more time on four shaking legs, letting loose another yell as he hurled his body into Scizor's. The blow barely made Scizor take a step back, but Bulbasaur bounced off of its metal frame and slammed into the ground on his side, twitching in pain.

"Scizor! Return!" Gary finally shouted as he raised his Poké Ball, and a beam of ruby light caught his Scizor in its grip. The bug Pokémon was looking down at Bulbasaur with a surprised, worried gaze before it vanished into the crimson stream and went back inside its Poké Ball.

"Pika-chaa-pika!" Pikachu leapt off of Ash's shoulder and ran ahead of him to skid to a stop at Bulbasaur's side, reaching out with one hand to pat his head. "Pikachu?"

"Bul… ba…" Bulbasaur grunted and turned to face away from Pikachu, his voice low.

"Bulbasaur, what got into you? You didn't have to do that." Ash knelt down beside his old friend and picked him up in his arms.

"Is he okay, Ash?" Gary asked worriedly.

"He'll be okay." Ash stood up, looking down at his Pokémon. "Don't worry about it Bulbasaur, it was just a bad matchup. You did great." Ash gave him a smile, but Bulbasaur refused to look at him. With a sigh Ash reached into his belt with one hand, withdrawing a small Poké Ball, which rapidly expanded. "Look, I grabbed your old Poké Ball. Why don't you take a rest for a while?" When Bulbasaur didn't respond Ash gently touched the ball to his foot, opening the ball, and drawing Bulbasaur into it in a stream of crimson light.

"Maybe I should have used a different Pokémon…" Gary rubbed the back of his neck.

"No way, that was a great tactical decision on your part," Ash assured him. "Bulbasaur will be fine. For now we still have a battle to finish."

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks," Gary grinned again.

"Okay, Pikachu, you're up," Ash nodded to his constant partner.

"Pika!" Pikachu leapt in front of Ash with a nimble spin, landing on all four legs and letting sparks of lightning surge into the ground.

"Your first Pokémon, huh? I bet Pikachu has seen a lot of action by now. Nothing like _this_, though…" Gary smirked and pulled out one of his Poké Balls. "I caught this one a long time ago myself. Now we'll see who's really the better trainer. AshTwo, go!" Gary hurled his Poké Ball in front of him, where it burst open with a flash of powerful, blinding light. The light settled on the ground a moment later and formed into the small yellow-furred form of a second Pikachu.

"Pikapichu!?" Pikachu squeaked in surprise.

"A… AshTwo?" Ash twitched.

"Because he reminded me of you," Gary replied.

"I'm…honored?" Ash rubbed his head in embarrassment, then blinked and shook his head clear. "Augh, it doesn't matter, a Pikachu by any other name still won't beat my Pikachu! Right buddy?"

"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu surged with lightning and fighting spirit.

"Pikachu!" AshTwo shouted back, shooting his own lightning into the air.

"Okay AshTwo, let's keep this nice and peaceful! Show your stuff!" Gary pointed toward Pikachu.

AshTwo stared at Pikachu, slowly marching forward. Pikachu growled and moved lower to the ground, sparking with electricity that faded into the air. AshTwo just approached at a slow walk, staring into Pikachu's deep, black eyes with his own. He approached until he was less than a tail's length away, then stood up on his hind legs and put his hands over his chest. His eyelashes fluttered up and down and it spoke in a deep, smooth voice. "Pikachu."

"Pi?" Pikachu blinked in surprise.

"Pikachu chu?" AshTwo winked.

"…Pihihi…" Pikachu giggled behind cupped hands and suddenly blushing cheeks.

"…Pi…Pikachu? What are you doing?" Ash blushed. "…Are you falling for that guy?! Wh-wh-why?" Ash stuttered in surprise.

"She's obviously fallen for AshTwo's Attract attack!" Gary pointed out victoriously.

"Sh… she? But…wait a second…" Ash blinked, going silent for a long moment before his eyes surged wide open in shock. "Pikachu's a GIRL?!"

Time seemed to suspend itself for a moment as all present, including the two Pikachu, turned to stare incredulously at Ash.

"…You're kidding, right?" Gary asked.

"……" Ash said nothing, staring at his own Pikachu, dumbfounded.

Gary stared at him for a moment, then rubbed his head and stared at him like he was slightly crazy. "Don't tell me you never knew your Pikachu was a girl?! Didn't your mother ever teach you anatomy?!"

Ash glared back at him, feeling his face blush hotly. "H-hey, shut up, it's not like I ever CHECKED!"

"Geeze, you really ARE thick…" Gary grumbled and shook his head. "Alright, AshTwo, let's--"

Gary was cut off suddenly by a burst of flame that shot across the field and exploded in the center of it, engulfing the two Pikachu, who screamed and scattered away from the flames, each of them rapidly rolling across the field in an attempt to put the flames out.

"Halt where you are!" A voice demanded from the edge of the forest.

Ash turned toward the voice, and gulped. "Uh-oh…"

Just in front of the tree line were a small row of men and women in dark uniforms, their faces all masked and their outfits unmarked by any sort of identification except for a small badge on one shoulder. And just in from of them, was a second row, this one consisting of several Pokémon, the large majority of them snarling and pawing the ground as though itching to attack.

"…I think…we're in trouble…"

And indeed, at that moment, the figure in the center of the line stepped forward. "In the name of the law…you AND your Pokémon are all under arrest!"

* * *

Comments and critiques are welcomed and appreciated, as always. Though we would be thankful if you didn't waste our time telling us that Pikachu is actually a boy. It remains unconfirmed to this day exactly what gender Pikachu is, and in the end it really, really doesn't matter, so we thank you in advance for NOT arguing about it.

-Cid and DS


	4. Pallet Town Showdown

**Divided we Stand**

by CidGregor and Dragonshadow

* * *

_Chapter Three: Pallet Town Showdown_

* * *

The field behind Professor Oak's lab was eerily silent. All of the Pokémon who had been watching from the forest seemed to have vanished back into the trees. Even the wind had fallen deathly still, watching Ash and Gary face off against the short line of strange, black-clad men and women in front of them, peering out at them from behind full facemasks. Their Pokémon stood in front of them, watching the two trainers with sharp eyes that would detect any untoward movement.

"You're under arrest. Forfeit your Pokémon and come with us," The man in front of the line spoke with a deep, commanding voice.

"Oh yeah? And just who are you?" Gary demanded of them. "You don't look like any police I've ever seen!"

"We're what you might call the latest branch of the police department. A Pokémon emancipation, nullification, and imprisonment squad," the group's front-man said with a sneer.

"I-imprisonment?!" Ash echoed. "You can't lock up our Pokémon!"

"We can and we will," the man snarled. "You are both in direct violation of the Silph Act, and are under arrest for illegal Pokémon battles. We won't ask again. Hand over your Pokémon and come quietly, now."

Pikachu and AshTwo came back together between Ash and Gary, standing side-by-side and facing this new threat with sparks flying between them. Ash exchanged a calm glance with Gary, who seemed to have a cocky smirk already on his face. He nodded slightly and turned to face forward again.

"I don't care who tells me to do it, I'll never give up my friends," was all Ash said before throwing his hand forward.

Ash and Gary shouted in unison. "Thunder Wave!" The two Pikachu between them squealed as lightning flared from their cheeks, flashing out across the field in an expanding field of energy. It swept over the Pokémon and trainers, surging through their bodies painlessly, but still giving their muscles a sudden, unexpected workout. They fell twitching to the grassy field, unable to control their own limbs.

"Let's go!" Ash whirled to run inside, and promptly slammed headfirst into the massive, barrel chest of a four-armed Machamp standing right in front of the laboratory door. Ash slowly looked up at the Pokémon's red eyes, then let out a high-pitched shriek as a tremendous impact sent him flying through the air like a missile.

"I got you Ash!" Gary jumped into his path, letting Ash slam into his chest, knocking them both to the grass in a wild tangle of limbs. As the two boys struggled to get up, they saw their two Pikachu rush to slide in front of them, facing the approaching Machamp.

Ash pushed himself to his feet. "Okay, Pikachu! We can take this!"

"Ash!" Gary yanked on his sleeve and pointed toward the paralyzed Pokémon and their trainers, who were beginning to recover from the Thunder Wave one by one. "I don't think we can win like this. We have to get out of here."

"What about my mom? And Professor Oak, and Brock?!" Ash exclaimed.

"They're not the ones who're going to get pounded, they must have escaped by now. Come on!" Gary turned to run from the group of trainers and Pokémon. "AshTwo, this way!" Gary's Pikachu squealed and turned to follow him quickly.

"Pika?" Pikachu looked up at Ash quizzically.

Ash growled, then nodded and turned to run. "Come on Pikachu!" He felt Pikachu's light body land on his shoulder a few moments later, clinging to his neck as he followed Gary erratically across the field.

"We need speed!" Gary pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it on front of him. "Let's get out of here, Dodrio!" The ball opened with a flash and the giant bird-Pokémon appeared beside him, its three heads squawking at one another while its long legs easily kept up with him right out of the ball. Gary leapt at the Pokémon, swinging his leg over and mounting with an ease that came only from long years of practice. AshTwo leapt up onto the bird's back, then up onto Gary's shoulder.

The Pokémon swept over to pick up Ash, who swung onto the bird's back with Gary's help before it really began to pump its legs. They nearly flew across the field, though a glance back warned Ash that several of the trainers had mounted their own Pokémon, and were moving to keep pace with them before they disappeared into the dense forest off the beaten path.

"We've got to go faster!" Ash shouted, still able to hear some of the other Pokémon tromping through the forest behind them. He shouted in surprise when a small burst of fire flew right past his head, detonating against one of the nearby trees with a thunderous crash. "Faster! Faster! Faster!"

"I don't see YOU busting out a Pokémon we can ride out of here! Dodrio's doing her best!" Gary snapped back irritably. They weaved through the trees, avoiding bursts of fire and even a few boulders and icicles that flew at them from their pursuers.

Ash gasped when something hairy, pig-faced and mean looking fell out of the trees above them, but the two Pikachu reacted with lightning reflexes. They leapt into the air in unison, their tails pulsing with a silver-tinted shine as they both slammed into their attacker. With a metallic crack, the attacking Primeape flew off to one side, slamming into the side of one tree with a sickening crunch and quickly vanishing into the bushes behind them. Ash looked back for a while, wanting to make sure it was okay, but he could see one of their pursuers riding a sleek black Pokémon with a bone-like cage around its canine flanks getting closer by the moment.

Suddenly Dodrio broke through a thick bush and emerged again into one of the many rolling fields of grass behind Professor Oak's laboratory, picking up speed on the more even terrain. Ash could see Pokémon running across the field away from the chase, many of which belonged to Ash and Gary. Ash gritted his teeth at the sight, realizing that running now would mean leaving them behind and at the mercy of these kidnappers.

"Gary, we have to get the Pokémon out of here too!" Ash shouted.

"Are you nuts? We wouldn't make it!" Gary's Dodrio veered to the side suddenly, its three heads ducking and darting as its feet slipped across the dirt. Gary and Ash narrowly ducked low enough to avoid the blast of fire that flew right over their heads, igniting the grassy field nearby. Dodrio managed to lurch back to its feet with its forward momentum and keep running, though the brief pause had given several of their pursuers time to catch up.

"If we don't, they'll be taken by THESE guys! We can't let that happen!" Ash shouted back, but was cut off as a jarring screech erupted from the air above them, and a massive, black-winged bird arched down through the sky toward them.

"Pikachu!" Both of the Pikachu leapt up into the air over Ash's head, lightning flashing from their bodies. The crack of energy slammed into the large bird, knocking it off course and sending it sailing over the flightless bird to come down on the ground with a sickening "thump". Its rider flipped to the grass beyond, dazed from the blow while Gary and Ash continued onward.

"Come on, Gary!"

Gary growled for a moment, then pointed to the side. "Come on Dodrio, let's round up the ones we can find!" Dodrio's three heads squawked and it skidded across the ground for a moment, trying to reorient itself. The Houndoom who'd been following them came up on their side in the moment they were stopped, but another surge of lightning from the two Pikachu sent it flying back to the ground with its trainer struggling to hang on.

Ash reached into his backpack and pulled out all of the Poké Balls he could find, while Gary lead the Dodrio toward the innocent Pokémon and the two Pikachu took up positions on Ash's shoulders, sending flashes of lightning after any attacker who got too close. Beams of piercing red light cut through the air as they passed, snapping up any Pokémon they happened to pass on the way. One after another Ash snapped up the Pokémon who belonged to both him and Gary, along with a few who were unfamiliar, but who seemed very willing to come with them rather than be at the mercy of these strange invaders.

"Is Dodrio slowing down?" Ash asked when he realized they were starting to drag.

"She's not used to carrying this much weight. We've got to get out of here."

"But there are still Pokémon we haven't found!"

"We'll have to come back for them if we can. Dodrio, let's get out of here!" Gary shouted. Dodrio's three heads bobbed in unison, each heaving for breath as it turned to run full speed toward the chain-link fence at the edge of the Pokémon reserve. The Pokémon lowered its heads as it charged forward, not even beginning to slow down as they approached.

Suddenly a jeep skidded to a stop on the street just beyond the fence, and for a moment Ash thought they should turn around, but then he realized Brock was in the driver's seat.

"Guys, come on!" Brock waved them toward him. "We've got to get out of here!"

"Do you think Dodrio can make it?" Ash asked doubtfully, looking up at the ten-foot high fence.

"You bet she can! Show him what you're made of, Dodrio!" Gary replied confidently, patting his Pokémon's flank. The bird rushed straight up to the fence, then threw itself up right before it hit the chains. Its legs slammed into the fence, grabbing hold and using its momentum to sprint straight up the fence while Gary, Ash, and the two Pikachu held on for dear life. Ash swore there was no way they would make it all the way up, but moments later the Pokémon was falling down the other side of the fence and landed in the back of the jeep with an impact that nearly sent the vehicle flying to the side.

"Go Brock, go!" Ash shouted. The screech of tires echoed through the air and they took off down the street moments before a wave of fire ripped through the chain-link fence, burning hot enough to melt the steel and the pavement on the street.

Dodrio's three heads heaved a simultaneous sigh as she collapsed into the back seat of the jeep, her heads dangling down toward the street in exhaustion.

"You did great, Dodrio. Thank you." Gary patted the bird's flank and took out his Poké Ball. "Rest up, you deserve it." The crimson light emerged from the ball, and soon the brave bird had vanished inside of its Poké Ball.

"What WAS all that, Brock?! Where's mom?! And Professor Oak?!" Ash demanded.

Brock didn't answer immediately, his eyes watching the road.

"C'mon, Brock, this is my grandpa we're talking about!" Gary added. "Where are they?"

"They decided to stay behind."

"STAY BEHIND?!" Ash burst out. "You mean they got arrested?!"

"No, they didn't fight back the way you guys did. They cooperated. They should be all right if they lay low for a while. But…"

"But what?"

"All the Pokémon that the professor was keeping there are being rounded up and taken into custody by those…people."

Both of the other boys jolted unpleasantly at that, exchanging a worried glance. A second later they both glanced down inside Ash's backpack, at the pile of Poké Balls that suddenly seemed pitifully small.

"…You mean…other than these ones we grabbed…" Gary trailed off, stunned.

"…Yeah. It looks like the rest of your Pokémon have all been confiscated."

Ash and Gary both stared at him for a long moment, like they didn't quite hear him, or didn't want to believe him. But as they chanced a glance behind them, and saw the pillar of smoke rapidly growing in the forest around Oak's lab, it was clear that Brock was right.

"Our Pokémon…" Ash whispered. "No…"

* * *

Mount Moon of course _looked_ beautiful and romantic from a distance, that much was certain. It rose majestically above the hills around it, overlooking Cerulean City like a benevolent queen, and at night the moon cast light upon it in the most peculiar way so that the whole mountain seemed to glow a wondrous shade of blue.

But trudging up close and personal through its thick, bug-infested forests and muddy trails way off the main routes, Misty quickly decided it was _not_ her idea of beauty _or_ romance.

"Eugh…" she grumbled to herself, pulling her shoes free from a particularly thick mud puddle. "I'm never gonna get these stains out…"

It was late now, and getting later. The sun had gone down completely, and its last light was rapidly fading. She'd have to make camp soon, before the forest went pitch-black. Still, she pressed on through the thick shrub and mud, trying to get as much distance as she could before then. Part of her was driven to get to Pallet Town and meet up with Ash as soon as possible, but for the most part, she was downright afraid of stopping to make camp. Making camp meant starting a fire, and starting a fire meant that its light could be seen from a great distance away, and someone seeing her right now was the last thing she wanted _or_ needed. But in what seemed like mere minutes she could barely see her hand in front of her face, and she knew she had to stop for the night.

A couple of minutes later she had a small fire going, offering much-needed warmth, and light to see by. She'd even managed to find a nice dry area to camp so she wasn't lying in the mud, though all that she'd managed to fit in her backpack as far as bedtime comforts was a small blanket. But despite her lucky find of a decent campsite way off the main paths, she couldn't enjoy it. She was far too occupied by her thoughts.

Things were going so wrong now…everything she knew was being systematically ripped away. As if it wasn't bad enough seeing her gym destroyed, or having Officer Jenny, a woman she'd known all her life, attack her in public while trying to take her Pokémon away. Now she was a fugitive from the law, too, having to hide from the main roads for fear of being attacked again by whoever might be tracking her. She felt confident that she could hold off one or two more attacks, but she didn't want to do that unless it was absolutely necessary. Her Pokémon were bound to get worn out or hurt by it, especially now that there were no rules holding them back, and there was no way for her to get them proper medical treatment anymore; she would almost certainly get caught if she tried to go to a Pokémon center.

If the Pokémon centers even _existed_ anymore.

What a wonderful new world this was, she thought with a grim, dark chuckle.

A second later her thoughts were abruptly cut off by a sudden rustle in the foliage nearby, instantly putting Misty on alert. Her eyes squinted into the darkness beyond her firelight, looking for the source of the sound, while her hand found its way to one of her Poké Balls. She clicked it open, the burst of light inside forming into a brown, five-pointed star with a red jewel in its center.

"Staryu…" Misty whispered. "Be ready for anything…"

A few tense seconds of silence passed, Misty listening hard for any further sounds and Staryu standing ready. Then Misty heard the rustling again, straight in front of them and very close…too close for comfort.

Misty reacted immediately. "Water Gun, Staryu!"

Staryu leapt into action, aiming one of its points at the sound and firing off a powerful stream of water, but almost an instant later...

"Ice Beam!" another young, feminine voice cried out. Right on the coat-tails of the command, an ice-cold chill burst back through the brush, freezing the stream of water almost instantly and sending the fresh icicle thudding to the ground.

"Nnhh…" Misty growled. "Whoever you are, you can go right back where you came from! You're not getting my Pokémon!"

"Me?!" the voice responded, oddly familiar to Misty's ears. "You're the one who attacked first!"

"You were trying to sneak up on my camp!"

"…Wait a minute…Misty?"

Misty tensed further. "How do you know me? You sound familiar…"

The other voice, however, seemed to sigh with relief, and as Misty watched, a girl about her own height stepped out of the darkness, her clothes about as nature-worn as Misty's own, and her brunette hair tied into two bunches underneath a red bandana. Misty relaxed almost immediately and smiled at the sight of the friendly face, which she now recognized as May's.

"I knew I remembered that tough voice," May said with a somewhat humorless chuckle.

"Oh, May, thank goodness it's you," Misty said with a relieved sigh. "I'm sorry, I thought you were with the police…"

"Ditto…" May echoed, and glanced back into the bushes. "It's okay, Glaceon, you can come out."

A quiet, cool mewing answered her words, and an ice-blue Pokémon Misty had never seen before emerged from the bushes beside May. It walked gracefully on four legs, and peered at Misty with deep, darker blue eyes as it sat on its hind legs, looking almost regal. Misty could only assume this was Glaceon.

"Don't worry, she's very nice," May assured the other girl.

"I'm sure she is… " Misty murmured, and a second later she shook her head to clear it. "What are you doing here, May?"

"You tell me!" May answered, looking thoroughly bewildered. "One minute I'm minding my own business walking toward Pallet Town to meet up with you and Ash and everyone, and the next all these weirdos in black outfits come at me and tell me I'm under arrest for having Pokémon and start CHASING me! I finally lost them when the sun went down, but by then I was lost too, and…that's when I found you."

"I see…you haven't heard yet," Misty murmured.

"Heard what?" May demanded. "What's going on around here?"

Misty opened her mouth to answer, but froze when a trio of voices began a sudden, arrogant laughter.

"She really has no idea, does she, Jessie?" a male voice said.

"Not a clue in the world, James…" a female answered.

"Den maybe us three should be kind enough 'ta educate 'er. Meowth!" came a tough, feline third voice.

"Oh NO, not now…!" Misty groaned. "Not Team Rocket!"

Indeed, a woman with insanely long, red hair stepped halfway out of the shadows, side by side with a purple-haired man holding a rose. Both wore identical white uniforms with a crimson 'R' stamped on each of their chests. And between them stood a tan-furred feline walking upright on two legs, grinning evilly.

"Prepare for trouble, you lost little girl…"

"And make it double while we shatter your world!"

"Meeeeeowth, that's right!"

May narrowed her eyes at the trio, clenching her fists. "What are you talking about?"

"For your information, twerp, that little friend of yours is illegal to own now, along with the rest of your Pokémon!" Jessie informed her with a cackle as she pointed at Glaceon.

"What?!" May burst out. "Illegal?!"

"That's right, my dear," James confirmed. "Thanks to the latest laws, anyone in Kanto owning Pokémon now is an outlaw."

"'Course, dat don't make no difference if you're already an outlaw, like us guys!" Meowth added, and brandished his claws. "Da only difference is…no one's gonna come ta' yer rescue now when we swipe yer precious Pokémon!"

Misty growled furiously. "It figures crooks like YOU would take advantage of trainers being ripped away from their Pokémon! But we're not gonna let you have a single one!"

"Not a chance!" May chimed in.

"We'll see about that!" Jessie announced, and in one quick motion she and James had each launched a Poké Ball forward.

"Seviper…"

"Carnivine…"

"_**GO!!**_"

* * *

Comments and critiques are welcomed and appreciated, as always.


	5. Thinning the Ranks

**Divided we Stand**

by CidGregor and Dragonshadow

* * *

_Chapter Four: Thinning the Ranks_

* * *

"How many did we get…?" Gary probed, looking at the pile of Poké Balls laid out on the back seat of the jeep between the two boys.

Ash looked over them as well, separating them out into still smaller piles; one for his own Pokémon, one for Gary's, and one for the few wild ones that had been quite willing to be captured by the two boys instead of their attackers. All in all, it wasn't very much.

"Not counting Pikachu and AshTwo," he said, gesturing at the two Pokémon on their shoulders, "we have twenty. Nine of yours, six of mine, and five wild ones…"

"That's it…? Twenty…?" Gary echoed. "I've got over a hundred other Pokémon at that lab…are you saying they're ALL…?"

"Looks that way," Brock added grimly from the driver's seat.

"This is bad…" Ash murmured, hanging his head. "Really bad…"

"Pikaaa…"

The threesome of teenagers had sped as far away from Oak's Lab as they could get without drawing any more attention, and were now parked well off-road, hoping against hope that they were far enough away from the main routes to not be seen through the trees, because there was no way they were getting the jeep any deeper into the woods without getting it hopelessly stuck there. Fortunately it seemed their attackers weren't pursuing them any longer, at least for the moment. They were probably much more interested in rounding up all of the Pokémon that Professor Oak kept there.

That thought burned painfully in the thoughts and hearts of the two Pallet trainers. They'd managed to save a few of their Pokémon companions, yes, but so many more of them were still back there, left behind to endure God only knew what kind of treatment at the hands of those strange people in black who claimed to be police. It made their blood boil to think of those awful people rounding up the Pokémon that they'd spent so long raising and befriending…but the anger was no match for the guilt that weighed on them as well. Guilt over running away. Guilt over not staying and fighting back. Guilt over not saving the rest of their friends, and instead leaving them to be captured…

"We should have stayed…" Ash said, barely above a whisper. "We could have saved more of them…we could have…we could have…"

"You would have been arrested, Ash," Brock reasoned. "All of you would have been. That police force had you outnumbered ten to one. There was no way you could have fought them all off in that kind of confusion. You did the best you could…"

"Then why do I still feel so lousy…?"

Brock sighed slightly. "I know it hurts, Ash, believe me. You want to do everything you can for your Pokémon. But back there, that wasn't the time. There was nothing more you could have done without getting yourself caught too."

"He's right, Ash," Gary agreed. "Dodrio barely got us out of there as it is. If we'd loaded her up with much more weight she might not have been able to get over that fence and let us escape."

"…I guess so…" Ash admitted.

"And if they think we're just gonna sit around and mope about it until we get caught, they're dead wrong," Gary added. "We're gonna find those guys, and we're gonna get our Pokémon back again in no time!"

"We…we are?" Ash stammered.

"Of course we will!" Gary insisted, pumping his fist. "We'd be pretty bad trainers if we just let a bunch of bullies steal our Pokémon away from us!"

"Yeah…yeah, you're right, Gary," Ash nodded his agreement. "We'll find our friends again, I know it!"

"Guys, I know you care about your Pokémon a lot, but think about this for a minute," Brock interrupted. "This isn't like fighting off Team Rocket. This is a new branch of the police force. Those guys are the law now, and they're doing their jobs."

"But I thought it was just temporary?" Gary wondered out loud.

Brock shook his head. "Professor Oak told me before we escaped…that thing we saw on the signpost at the edge of town, the Silph Act? It's a law to make the ban on battling permanent. And it passed."

"What?! No way!" both boys exclaimed.

"It's true. And those people that attacked us are the special police force that the Silph Act established. It's their job to take all trainers' Pokémon into custody and enforce the new law."

"Well it's a horrible job and an even worse law!" Ash countered defiantly. "How could the Pokémon League agree to something like this? How could ANYONE agree to it?!"

"I agree, it's pretty suspicious," Brock admitted. "But it's still the law right now. If we don't follow it…"

"Then the world is going to see us as criminals," Gary finished for him, catching on. "Yeah, well, if having Pokémon is a crime, then why do those police get to have them? They don't have to follow their own laws, is that it?"

"And what about the Pokémon themselves?" Ash added. "They didn't do anything wrong, and THEY'RE the ones getting rounded up! It's completely unfair!"

"Not to mention discrimination against Pokémon," Brock agreed. "They're being confiscated and sent who knows where, just for being Pokémon."

The boys nodded in unison, all of them coming to a similar conclusion. Now that they had the time to stop and think about it, the conditions of this new law just kept getting more and more suspicious. Something was definitely fishy about it all, and if they had any hope of getting back their captured Pokémon, they needed to get to the bottom of it, somehow.

"Looks like the coast is clear," Brock spoke up a minute later, starting the Jeep again. "C'mon, let's get moving."

"Why, where are we going?" Ash asked.

"Pewter City. Professor Oak said that on top of everything else, Kanto's Pokémon Gyms are being targeted too. They're all going to be demolished."

"What?! No way!" Gary shouted. "Those have been around for decades!"

"I know," Brock said grimly. "But they don't seem to care. They've already destroyed Misty's Gym…"

Ash felt an extra-unpleasant jolt in his heart at that. "Misty's Gym is…?! But…is she okay?!"

"I don't know," Brock said. "All I know is that the demolition crew is heading straight for Pewter City. I have to get there first…that's my family's home…"

"But what about Misty?!" Ash demanded. "If she didn't come to meet us in Pallet Town, then she might be in trouble!"

"Please, Ash," Brock said firmly. "My family might be in just as much trouble…I'm not going to pass right by Pewter without stopping. I have to help them. After that I promise we'll look for Misty, but…I'm sorry, I need to put my family first…"

Ash hesitated for the barest of moments, but nodded along. "Okay…you're right…we'll make sure your family is okay first…"

"Thanks, Ash…" Brock said with a relieved sigh, kicking the Jeep into gear and driving out of hiding, toward the road.

"Don't worry, Ash…Misty's tough as nails, I'm sure she's just fine," Gary assured his friend.

Ash nodded slowly, trying to calm the sudden, unique kind of tension in the pit of his stomach that he only seemed to feel when Misty was in trouble.

"Yeah…" he murmured. "…I hope so…"

* * *

From the two Poké Balls thrown by Jessie and James, a pair of Pokémon appeared who were all too familiar to May and Misty. The one thrown by Jessie formed into a black and violet serpent that even while coiled up was still as tall as Jessie herself. The one thrown by James coalesced into a bright green plant-like Pokémon that looked more like a Venus Fly Trap than anything else, and the moment it was free it whirled and clamped itself affectionately over James' upper body.

"Seviper, Poison Tail, now!"

"Mmpphhh! No, Carnivine, Bite them, not my head!"

The two Rockets' Pokémon pounced on their masters' orders, Seviper swinging its wicked tail blade at Misty's Staryu, while Carnivine charged at May's Glaceon with huge, chomping jaws.

"Dodge it, Staryu!" Misty shouted.

"You too Glaceon!" May echoed.

The girls' Pokémon complied instantly and sprung away from the incoming attacks without a scratch, leaving Seviper's tail bouncing harmlessly off a rock and Carnivine's jaws clamping at empty air.

Misty let out a quick sigh of relief as she turned to glare at Team Rocket. "Can't you go bother someone else? We don't want to fight with you right now, we have bigger things to worry about!"

"All the more reason for us to rain on your parade!" Jessie answered with a gaudy laugh.

"Grrr! I knew you guys were low, but I didn't think even YOU would be this low!" May shouted angrily.

"Why so surprised? A time like this is a perfect opportunity for us!" James announced. "Terrified and distracted trainers all over the region are ripe for the picking!"

"An' we decided to pick on youse twos foist!" Meowth added.

"Nnnhh…" Misty growled, turning to May. "Looks like we have no choice…"

May nodded her agreement, and turned her attention to the battle. "Alright Glaceon, let's end this fast! Ice Beam!"

Glaceon gave a melodious cry of response and opened its jaws, unleashing a bright blue beam of freezing cold energy at the attackers, but Seviper and Carnivine dodged just as easily, and came straight at Glaceon together, both with snapping jaws.

"Help out, Staryu! Water Gun!" Misty shouted. Her Staryu sprung into action immediately, angling two of its arms forward and firing a powerful stream of water at a right angle to Seviper and Carnivine's charge. The two forces intersected bare inches in front of Glaceon's nose, but the ice Pokémon was left unharmed, and the Water Gun attack slammed the attackers into a nearby tree instead.

"Thanks, Misty, Staryu! Now, Glaceon, give 'em another Ice Beam!" May ordered. Glaceon cooed again and obeyed, another Ice Beam bursting from its mouth, and this time the soaked attackers took the hit full force. The water around them froze instantly under the extreme cold, sealing them neatly inside a solid block of ice and rendering them immobile.

"Grrr…how dare you, you little twerps!" Jessie snarled.

"You can try as many times as you want, Team Rocket, but you'll never steal our Pokémon!" Misty insisted, and held out her Poké Ball. "Staryu, time to return."

"What?" May asked in surprise as she watched Staryu vanish into the Poké Ball. "We're not going to finish the battle?"

"No," Misty answered firmly. "They're beat anyway. Besides, we can't risk having our Pokémon getting tired or hurt. We can't go to Pokémon centers anymore, so no one could treat our Pokémon if something happened to them…"

May squeaked in surprise. "Oh my gosh, I totally didn't even think of that! You're totally right. Glaceon, return!" she insisted, and absorbed her friend safely back into its Poké Ball.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Jessie demanded furiously. "We have unfinished business!"

"This battle is far from over!" James agreed. "Meowth, use Fury Swipes to break the ice!"

"Heh-heh-heh-heh, with pleasure! MEOWTH!" the feline announced, his claws at the ready. He leapt at the block of ice, swinging wildly at it and breaking it apart piece by piece until, to May and Misty's horror, the Pokémon trapped inside broke the rest of the way out and stood ready for more, apparently no worse for the wear.

"Guess we're not done after all…" May murmured.

"Afraid not, m'dear," James said with a smirk. "Carnivine, time for a Vine Whip!"

"Carnivine!" it announced, its fingers firing out like tentacles at May.

May hurled a Poké Ball forward in response. "Go, Venusaur, show him a REAL Vine Whip!"

May's Venusaur burst out of her Poké Ball with a roar, twin vines immediately extending from within the enormous flower atop her body. Carnivine's own attack met Venusaur's in midair, the two sets of vines slapping away at each other like fencing opponents, neither able to get past the other's guard.

"Time to change it up, Carnivine! Sleep Powder!" James ordered. Instantly Carnivine retracted its vines and opened its enormous maw of a mouth, belching out a thick blue mist at May and Venusaur. May squeaked in shock, but it was all she had time to do before the mist passed over both of them, and a second later her eyelids felt like there was a fifty-pound weight on each of them.

"Mmm…nappy time…" she murmured, barely coherent, and toppled over, unconscious, on top of her Venusaur, who was now also fast asleep.

"Oh no, May!" Misty gasped. "May, wake up!"

"I'm afraid you've got your own troubles, little girl!" Jessie said with a laugh. "Seviper, let's squeeze the little twerp until she pops! Bind!"

Misty yelped in sudden terror and backpedaled as the snake-like Pokémon slithered straight toward her. On pure instinct her hand grabbed for a Poké Ball, any Poké Ball, and threw it forward. "Go! Stop Seviper!" she shouted in a panic. The Poké Ball hit the ground and burst open between Misty and Seviper, the energy inside rapidly coming together in the form of…

"Psyduck!" the little yellow duck announced, hands already holding his head.

"Oh NO, not Psyduck!" Misty groaned.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Is that the best you can do?" Jessie cackled. "Seviper, squeeze the life out of that shrimpy little thing!"

"Seviper!" the snake hissed, wrapping up Psyduck with its long body and squeezing tight.

"Psyyyyyyyy-yai-yai-yi-yai!!" Psyduck wailed in pain, his head feeling most of the squeeze.

"Nnhhh…" Misty grunted. "Come on, Psyduck, work that headache up! Your psychic power's your only hope!"

"Oh no, I won't fall for that one again!" Jessie announced. "Seviper, use Poison Fang!"

Seviper quickly moved to obey, and reared up high over everyone's heads, hissing dangerously.

"Psyyyy…?" Psyduck muttered weakly, dangling in mid-air from the tight grip of the snake's tail and looking back up at his attacker with a dimwitted stare.

"Seeeeeee-VIPER!" it snarled, it jaws opening wide and baring fangs dripping with venom.

"Psyyy!!" Psyduck's webbed feet kicked desperately at the air as the venom dripped on the body coiled tightly around him. To Misty it felt like they stared each other down for an eternity before suddenly the serpent struck like a lightning bolt. Psyduck's panicked yells gave way to yells of pain as the fangs ripped into his body and back out again just as quickly. A moment later Psyduck's cries grew strangely silent, even when Seviper dropped his limp body to the ground with an agonizing thud.

"No! Psyduck!" Misty screamed, rushing to her Pokémon's side. He was lying still on the ground with his eyes closed, wincing in pain, but not the same way he did when his headache was getting worse, Misty noticed. He looked hurt...and bad.

"Oh no...Psyduck, speak to me...what's wrong?" Misty murmured worriedly.

"Isn't it obvious?" Jessie cackled. Your poor little Pokémon is poisoned!"

Misty gasped softly. "Oh, no...! No! Psyduck, no!"

"I'm afraid there's nothing you can do," James sneered. "The poison has already entered Psyduck's body. And it will slowly spread further and further, sapping up more and more of its energy until…"

Misty's expression went as pale as a ghost. "Oh God...Psyduck…"

"Guess youse twos better gets to a Pokémon center. Oh wait, that's right…you CAN'T!" Meowth sneered, cackling evilly as he mocked her.

"No…no, Psyduck, don't die…you have to hold on…" Misty whispered.

"Of course…there IS a way to save your precious friend…" Jessie began, slowly grinning.

"Wh-what? How? Tell me!" Misty cried out desperately.

Jessie held out her hand. "Give Psyduck to us."

"What?! No way!" Misty exclaimed vehemently. "Why would I do something like that?!"

"Rocket headquarters has its very own Pokémon treatment facilities. We promise your Psyduck will be well-cared-for," James said. "Of course, he would become ours for good, but at least you'd know he was safe and healthy again."

Misty clenched her fists tightly in fury. "You…!"

"But if dat don't appeal to ya, feel free to take it to a Pokémon center anyway," Meowth offered. "If it doesn't die before ya even get there, I'm _sure_ those new police people waiting there for ya will really give a Ratatta's behind about whether yer precious Pokémon lives thru' da night or not. Heh-heh-heh-heh…!"

Misty paled slowly, her mind racing to think through all the possibilities before her, and to her growing horror, she began to realize that Team Rocket was right. She couldn't go to a Pokémon center, or she and Psyduck would be arrested, and if even Officer Jenny had turned against her, then there was no way that anyone would care if Psyduck was dying, if he even lived long enough for her to get to one in the first place.

"Tick tock, tick tock…" Jessie cackled. "Time's running out for your little friend…"

"…How do I even know you're telling the truth about your own Pokémon center?" Misty demanded.

"Please," Jessie snorted derisively. "Team Rocket has operated outside the law since before you were born. Our own Pokémon treatment facilities are a necessity."

"We promise Psyduck will be cured in a flash…unless you'd rather let the poor thing die than let him come with us," James probed.

The words visibly broke Misty's resolve. Her whole body jolted and then slumped, her head hanging. Of course she didn't want Psyduck to die. Anything was better than that. She refused to let her friends die. Which left her with the only obvious choice left.

"…Alright…" Misty conceded, picking up Psyduck. "…You win…just, please…please save my Psyduck…"

"Of course we will," Jessie insisted. "Now hand him over!"

Reluctantly Misty walked forward, her head down so that the Rockets couldn't see the tears forming in her eyes as she held out her arms, and laid the wounded Psyduck in Jessie's arms instead.

"And the Poké Ball," Jessie added.

Misty winced again, but handed Psyduck's Poké Ball over as well, her fists clenching again. "Now get out of here…go heal Psyduck, now…!"

"Pleasure doing business with you!" Jessie sang, a horrible grin on her face.

"Thank you for patronage with Team Rocket…" James laughed.

"And I'll just take DIS for our transaction fee!" Meowth sneered, picking up the Poké Ball that May had dropped earlier and sucking the sleeping Venusaur back into it.

"What?! HEY! NO! I didn't agree to that!" Misty shouted. "Stop!"

"Oh, you don't wanna pay da fee?" Meowth asked. "Well, we could always just drop off yer lil' Psyduck somewhere else…maybe over a river!"

Misty froze up again, trembling.

"Hah…dat's what I thought!" Meowth cackled, twirling May's Poké Ball on his finger. "Youse twoips have a nice day, now!"

A second later the three Rockets vanished into the woods, and overhead their victorious cackling could already be heard as they floated away in their gigantic Meowth-shaped hot air balloon.

Misty fell to her knees and stared after them helplessly, shaking. "No...Venusaur…Psyduck…" she slowly began to sob. "I'm sorry…it's all my fault…"

* * *

Authors' Notes (Cid): Sorry about the delay on this one. Took a big two-week vacation, part of which was to San Diego Comic-Con (fantastic event), so writing time was el zilcho for a while. Should be back on track from now on.

Comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated, as always.


	6. Divide and Conquer

**Divided we Stand**

By CidGregor and DragonShadow

* * *

_Chapter Five: Divide and Conquer_

* * *

Viridian City was, and always had been, a fairly peaceful city despite its size. It had what was probably the largest Pokémon center in all of Kanto, not to mention one of the largest Pokémon Gyms. Several well-known corporations had offices there. The only main road to the Indigo Plateau began there. It was probably one of the largest cities in the region. But somehow it still maintained the quiet, calm air of a small, out of the way town like Pallet. There wasn't a lot of noise or pollution, the streets were clean, and traffic wasn't too heavy when many of the city's residents preferred to walk everywhere.

Unfortunately for Ash, Brock and Gary, that made it a bit harder for them to stay inconspicuous in their big, loud, obvious jeep.

"I say we just play it cool and drive on through like nothing's wrong," Gary offered, leaning against the door in the back seat of the parked vehicle with his own Pikachu, AshTwo, sitting in his lap. "If we don't ACT suspicious then no one will have a reason to BE suspicious."

"Unless they're specifically looking for us," Ash countered vehemently from outside the jeep, his fist clenching into a fist while Pikachu clung to his shoulder. "Which they very well might be, and if that's the case then the police will have the strongest presence on the main roads. We should avoid them and weave through the city on side roads."

"That makes us even MORE obvious," Gary argued back. "They'll definitely notice us if we're the only ones on the road!"

"Only because we're in this Jeep," Ash's voice rose as he spoke. "If we get out and keep going on foot, then we can blend in with the crowd."

"But then if we ARE spotted it'll be that much harder for us to get away," Gary disagreed, absently scratching AshTwo's head. "Not to mention it's too slow! Who knows what could happen in Pewter while we're busy walking!"

"Going fast doesn't help us if we can't get anywhere with it!" Ash's arm pumped furiously against the air as he glared at his long-time rival. "Do you really think--"

"Both of you, stop that."

Brock's voice was so soft the two younger boys could barely hear him, but somehow it had enough power to diffuse both of their rising tempers and make them turn towards him.

"No matter what we do, arguing about it won't do anything but make it easier for them to catch us," he went on. "Our best bet is to go through the middle of town. If they're already looking out for us then it won't matter which way we go anyway, they'll still find us. Besides, if we went on foot, Ash, you'd have to hide Pikachu again until we passed all the way through Viridian City. And I don't think she'll like being stuffed in her Poké Ball for that long."

"Pika pi-chu, chuuu!" Pikachu agreed, violently shaking her head back and forth. Ash had his mouth halfway open to argue the point, but upon seeing Pikachu's reaction, he swallowed his words and forced himself to nod along. He could barely believe how calm Brock seemed right now. He had to be scared for his family in Pewter, but his eyes were narrowed in concentration rather than widened in fear. It was something Ash had to admire…

"…Pi-pi-pi! Cha!" Pikachu suddenly shouted.

Ash looked up, following his friend's urgent cries as she stared behind them, and jolted. "Er, guys? Whatever we do, we better do it fast. Something's coming this way!" He pointed down the road behind them, bringing the boys' attention to a line of four cars driving over the hills they themselves had just traversed. All of them were moving very fast, and heading straight toward the foursome.

"Crap, we've gotta get out of sight," Brock realized, gunning the engine, prompting Ash to leap into the backseat just as the jeep started moving. Pikachu flailed a bit, nearly falling off his shoulder as she sailed in right behind him, and hid on the floor behind Ash's feet, AshTwo right next to her behind Gary's. The jeep hauled them all out of the way and into the trees once again, just long enough for the squad of cars to speed by them and into the streets of Viridian City. To the group's collective relief, none of the cars stopped or even slowed down; it seemed they hadn't been noticed. Yet.

"That was close…" Ash whispered.

"Who wants to bet that's the gang that attacked Gramps' lab?" Gary murmured.

"Not a bad bet," Brock nodded, looking out toward the road at the squad cars. "They should be out of sight in a minute…once they're gone, we'll make a break for--"

"No!" Ash suddenly exclaimed. "We have to follow them!"

"What?!"

"Just do it, Brock! Don't let them get out of sight!"

"But--"

"There's no time to sit here and explain! Hurry!"

Brock hesitated for another moment, but ultimately nodded and pulled the jeep back out onto the road, and followed the squad cars at a safe distance.

"You thinking what I'm thinking, Ash?" Gary asked.

"Yeah," Ash nodded. "If we find out where those new enforcers are operating from, then we'll know where they're taking all of our Pokémon. And maybe…maybe we can get then back…"

"Ash, I know you two want to save your Pokémon," Brock began, "but this is hardly the time--"

"We're not forgetting about Pewter," Ash assured him. "We just want to check this out and see where they're working from. It'll just take a minute, Brock, please…"

"Nnhh…alright, but then we have to really book it…"

Ash nodded his agreement, and relaxed down in his seat, trying to act casual with the watchful eyes of the police all around. He glanced down at the floor to ensure Pikachu was safely hidden, and short of forcing her back into her Poké Ball again, she was as well-hidden as she could be, curled up underneath the seat and behind the shield of Ash's legs.

For a moment, focusing on his friend pushed the current situation well out of his mind. Instead Ash began to wonder, to his immense surprise, how he had traveled with a faithful friend like Pikachu for so long – five or six years, it must have been – and never realized she was a girl. Professor Oak hadn't specified Pikachu's gender when he first gave her to Ash. And like he'd told Gary, it wasn't like he ever _checked_; it had never really come up before. She was still Pikachu, his longest, closest friend, it wasn't really important back then if she was male or female. And really, it still wasn't, he tried to reason to himself.

It still seemed strange to find out the truth, though, he realized. He wasn't really sure WHY it seemed strange to think that his friend was a girl, but it did. Maybe it was because Pikachu had never really cared much for Misty's occasional attempts to put her in cute little dresses…but then, Pokémon didn't wear clothes anyway. Maybe it was because Pikachu never really acted like he would expect a girl to act…but then again, did female Pokémon act anything like female humans to begin with?

No, it wasn't that simple. If anything, what made it feel weird was that for one reason or another, he's always just subconsciously _assumed_ Pikachu was a boy. He didn't even realize he'd been making that assumption until it had been proven wrong. He Pikachu was his best friend, his buddy, his pal, his teammate, for years on end now, and it had simply felt natural to assume a partner and friend like that to be 'one of the guys,' so to speak. It was a definite shock to the system to find out otherwise.

But it still didn't matter, did it? She was still the same Pikachu he'd always known, right?

"Hey, check it out," Gary said, snapping Ash out of his thoughts. "They're pulling into that garage there."

Ash looked up at the building the garage was attached to and frowned, mild surprise running through him. "Isn't that the police station…?"

"It sure is," Gary affirmed. "It looks like Gramps was right. This group really IS a new branch of the police force."

Indeed, the quartet of cars was coming to a halt inside a large garage on the right side of the Viridian City police station. Their engines shut off and the squad members hopped out of the cars, and as the garage door began closing, Ash had just enough time to see them opening up their trunks and pulling out several large, lumpy bags, which he could only assume were full of Poké Balls and the Pokémon trapped within, robbed from Professor Oak's lab and whatever other unlucky trainers they'd preyed on before that. A second later the garage had closed, a stylized logo on the door of a Poké Ball behind bars the only thing still visible.

"That's gotta be it," Ash said. "That's where they've got our Pokémon!"

"This is crazy!" Brock said, his tone oddly indignant and dramatic. "It doesn't make any sense! A beautiful girl like Officer Jenny would never allow something like this into her noble, upstanding police force! I can only imagine what horrors Nurse Joy, too, has been forced to endure!"

Ash rolled his eyes slightly. "Come on, Brock, be serious, this isn't the time to be swooning…"

"Yeah, don't you have a hometown to get to and a gym to save?" Gary added.

Fortunately that seemed to bring Brock back to earth. The dreamy vehemence on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by grounded determination, and though he didn't say anything to the other boys' words, he gave a quiet murmur of agreement and nodded, looking toward the road again.

"Wait…" Gary interrupted before he could step on the gas, and to the others' surprise he hopped out of the jeep. "You guys go on ahead."

"What?!" Ash exclaimed. "Why, what are you gonna do?"

"These guys are holed up in the _police station_, Ash," Gary explained. "If we're really serious about getting our Pokémon back, then those Pokémon imprisonment squad guys hiding out in a police station make it a lot harder. Not only do we have them to deal with, we have the whole Viridian police force, too. We need to come up with a solid plan of attack."

"What does that have to do with you staying behind?"

"While you guys deal with the situation in Pewter, I can hide out here and do some scouting around. With any luck I might find out a way for us to get in there undetected, or at least get some information."

Ash frowned again. "I don't know…it sounds risky. What if you're caught?"

"I won't be. I'll stay clear of the new task force, and the regular police can't do anything to me if I don't have any Pokémon."

"You mean…?"

"Yeah. I'll go it alone. I'm leaving my Pokémon with you for now, Ash, so take care of them."

"I…of course I will, but…Gary if something goes wrong and you don't have any Pokémon to defend yourself with…"

"You let me worry about that, Ash. As long as I don't draw attention to myself I'll be fine. You just worry about keeping our Pokémon safe and protecting that Gym."

"Ash, whichever we do, we need to get moving, now," Brock urged. "Gary can take care of himself for a while, but Pewter Gym's in trouble _now_."

"…Yeah…alright," Ash slowly agreed, giving Gary a firm stare. "But you better not be in prison when we come back for you."

"I'll be fine, Ash, don't worry about me," Gary insisted. "Just keep my Pokémon safe."

Ash nodded. "I will."

Gary looked down to the floor of the jeep, giving AshTwo a caring smile. "You got that, buddy? You listen to Ash until I get back."

AshTwo nodded, though visibly reluctant to see him go. "Chaa…"

"I'll be okay," he said, and smiled a bit more teasingly to cheer him up. "Besides, now you can have some quality time with your new friend over there."

"Pi?" AshTwo chirped curiously, glancing around at Pikachu, whose ears twitched as she noticed his gaze and froze for a long second.

"…Chaaa!" she squeaked, visibly blushing as she hid her face.

"H-hey hey hey, knock it off!" Ash quickly interrupted. "This is serious!"

Gary smirked and chuckled, but let it drop. "Get going, you guys. Be safe."

"You too, Gary," Ash replied. And a moment later they shook hands and parted ways, Gary walking off into the city crowd while Ash and Brock drove off in the other direction.

"He'll be alright, Ash…" Brock said.

"Yeah…I know," Ash said, his eyes growing firm and determined. "He's got his mission, and we've got ours. Let's go save that Gym…"

* * *

Night came and passed, and the sun began to rise beyond Mount Moon, prompting the world as it did every morning to wake up.

Misty, however, hadn't slept a wink the whole night. She had barely moved from her spot on the ground, the echoing laughter of Team Rocket as they made off with her Pokémon still ringing in her ears hours later. Somehow…she wasn't really even sure how anymore…Team Rocket had won. And there had been so much more than a simple Pokémon battle at stake.

_Psyduck…oh Psyduck…_

It was frightening how quickly it had happened. One second Team Rocket's Pokémon had been frozen in ice, the battle apparently over…and the next second they were charging straight for her. They'd caught her off-guard and defenseless, and she'd simply reacted and tossed a Poké Ball out without even thinking about it. And in so doing she had doomed her dimwitted but beloved Psyduck to an awful and truly life-threatening fate.

Poisoned.

Slowly dying.

Pokémon centers no longer available to her.

And her choice…her only choice…had been to let her Psyduck fall into Team Rocket's hands.

She felt awful enough about it just because of that, for allowing Psyduck to be taken. Even if it really HAD been the only way to save her friend's life, the guilt that weighed on her for willingly handing her Pokémon over to people like Team Rocket was crushing enough. But then…then she'd stood by and watched as they took advantage of May's helpless state and stolen her Venusaur, too. She could have stopped them, she could have had the courage to stand up and protect her friend from losing a Pokémon too. But a tiny little threat against Psyduck, and she'd wilted, stood aside to watch and let Team Rocket make off with Venusaur unchallenged. And that made the guilt feel so much heavier on her heart.

Misty glanced off to one side, to where May currently sat. She had awoken from the effects of the Sleep Powder attack after a couple of hours, and then like Misty, she hadn't slept the rest of the night either. Somehow Misty had managed to force the story out when May asked what had happened, had demanded to know where her precious Pokémon was; and since then, May hadn't spoken a word to her, sitting at the other end of the small clearing and staring blankly at the ground for the hours until daylight broke. She looked downright miserable, and Misty couldn't help but put the blame on herself. Venusaur and Psyduck were both gone, being put through who knew what kind of fate at the hands of Team Rocket. They were long gone, with no chance of following their trail. And she had let it happen. She wouldn't blame May if the girl hated her now. She'd deserve it.

Slowly, Misty got to her feet, stretching out cramped muscles and heaving a quiet sigh. The sun was coming up, and that meant it was time to get moving. She was nearly to Pewter City now; if she hurried, there was a chance she could get through Viridian Forest before the next night came, and find Ash in Pallet Town shortly after. She wasn't quite sure why she wanted to find him so badly, but something inside told her that things would start going better if she could…somehow.

First, however, she hesitantly approached May, who hadn't seemed to react to her motions at all, and cleared her throat.

"…I'm…going to get moving," Misty informed her. "I'm heading toward Pallet Town to look for Ash, if…you want to come with me. Maybe…once we find him, things will start making more sense."

May didn't say anything at first, instead just nodding her head after a few seconds and wordlessly standing up to follow her. The two girls plowed ahead through the forest, their footsteps and the rustle of the foliage the only noise as they walked. It was a bit unnerving to Misty, who was so used to travelling with pleasant, cheerful conversation among her travel-mates. May looked somewhat less miserable now, but Misty was sure that the girl was still furious at her for what had happened. And after an hour of relative silence, Misty took a breath and dared to break it, if for no other reason than to try to make amends for her mistake.

"…May, I--"

"It's okay, Misty."

Misty stopped short in surprise, not expecting that from the other girl. "…What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know what you were going to say, and…you don't have to apologize," May clarified, her tone soft but sure. "There was nothing you could have done without putting Psyduck in even worse danger."

"…But I--"

"I said it's okay," May stopped her again. "…Team Rocket is to blame, not you. Getting upset over who's to blame won't change anything, anyway…"

"I understand, May…but I'm still sorry…I put us in that situation in the first place…I got Psyduck and Venusaur captured…"

"No you didn't, Misty…Team Rocket did."

"But--"

"Misty, really, you don't have to feel bad…" May insisted, and for the first time since the battle she smiled, as though a weight was being lifted off her own heart by finally talking about it. "You didn't do anything wrong. We wouldn't have been in that situation at all if Team Rocket hadn't created it."

Misty nodded her tentative agreement after a moment. "Yeah…but…"

"No buts," May stopped her. "Your Psyduck is going to be okay, you've gotta believe that. Team Rocket isn't completely heartless, they won't just let a Pokémon die."

"I hope not," Misty murmured worriedly.

"And I'll tell you something else, too. They're not gonna get away with it either."

"They're not…?"

"No way. We'll find them again, and when we do…"

"But May, they're long gone…"

"I don't care. We'll run into them again just like we always do, and next time, they're gonna pay, and we're gonna get our Pokémon back!"

"…Yeah….yeah, you're right May," Misty agreed finally smiling herself. "We WILL get them back. Team Rocket's never gotten away with their schemes before, and they won't this time either."

"Exactly!" May said with a smile and a quick pump of her fist. "Now c'mon, we've got a friend to find."

"Right," Misty said with a nod and facing forward. "Look, the edge of the forest is just up ahead…from there we should be able to see--"

Right at that moment, just as predicted, the tree line ended, letting them see out beyond the forest, and upon seeing the sight beyond, Misty froze with a gasp. "…Pewter…"

At the edge of the forest was a softly sloped hill, leading down from the higher elevations of Mount Moon, which gave them a great view of the city below. But the view was far from pleasant. The entire town looked to be in chaos. Windows were broken, Pokémon battled each other with frightening ferocity at the orders of not just trainers, but dozens of uniformed men and women dressed in all black with a logo on their arms depicting a Poké Ball in a cage. And right in the center of it all…

"Oh my god," May whispered. That building…"

"Oh no…" Misty murmured, fear hitting her. "That…that's Brock's Gym…"

Indeed, in the center of the chaos stood the Pewter City Pokémon Gym. A landmark of the town. A symbol of the culture of Pokémon. And to the family of a dear friend, home.

And it was engulfed in flames.

* * *

Author's notes (Cid): Many apologies for the lengthy hiatus...motivation evaporated for a while. Hope to get back on track here with NaNo approaching.

Comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated, as always.


	7. Reunions

**Divided We Stand**

by CidGregor and DragonShadow

* * *

_Chapter Six: Reunions

* * *

_

The horizon burned with the orange light of dawn as it did every morning, giving one the lie that this was just another ordinary day. Yet the black smoke that quickly began to drown out the light of the sun, and replace its orange light with a burning fury of its own, dispelled any notion of a normal day. The people of Pewter City emerged one-by-one from their homes, aroused by the smell of the smoke or the sound of the inferno from which it poured, and could only stare in shock at the sight that met them. Parents held their children close, while those couples with no children could only hold one-another.

The people gasped again in fright as a bright orange figure whooshed by overhead, bounding from rooftop to lamppost to rooftop with inhuman dexterity as it made a straight dash toward what had once been Pewter Gym. White and fiery orange feathers drifted to the ground as it passed, its feet clinging to every perch it could find while its wing-like arms remained enclosed around itself as if holding two figures tightly against its chest. Soon the Blaziken reached the final building that stood around the perimeter of the gym and slowly rose to its full height, releasing two young girls from its arms.

"I…I can't believe they would do this…" May put her hands over her mouth, staring in horror at the flaming building.

"They already did it in Cerulean City…" Misty looked around at the crowd with a sudden sense of urgency. "But… I don't see Brock's family out here…"

As if to confirm her unspoken concern, an explosion erupted from the side of the building, drawing a fearful gasp from the crowd. Debris momentarily concealed the massive body of a Machamp as it flew back through the air, yelling and flailing at nothing. Its solid body slammed into the side of the building Misty and May were standing on, punching through it with enough force to make the entire building wobble.

"Aaaiiiieeee!" May and Misty screamed, but Blaziken's arms wrapped around them again and it leapt through the air, spinning to land on its feet easily by the side of the lake that flowed in front of the Pewter City Gym.

Misty whirled back toward the gym. "Someone's still in there! We have to put the fire out!" Misty whipped a Poké Ball out of her backpack, ignoring the countless Pewter residents who were watching them. "Goldeen, give me a Surf!" A magnificent light flashed from her Poké Ball, and her small Pokémon vanished into the water before it could barely even be seen.

The water in the lake began to swirl and weave back and forth in the riverbed, as Misty rushed to get in front of it and turn toward the gym. May quickly called Blaziken back into its Poké Ball in a ray of crimson light and rushed to join her.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" May asked.

"Ash has done way stupider stuff than this and come out of it just fine. We should theoretically have a chance to make it," Misty replied.

"As long as you're sure." May didn't have time to smirk before the massive wall of water slammed into both of their backs, launching them into the air along with the rising wave that loomed large over the Pewter City Gym.

Misty whirled and wrapped her arms around her Goldeen as it flitted back and forth inside of the wave, soon pulling May in with her so they could both scan the building as they rose past it. The water soon began to rain down upon the building's roof, cascading down and sending plumes of steam into the air where it touched the raging inferno. The flames began to die down beneath them, but still they continued their search until-

"There's someone in that room there!" May pointed toward one of the open windows of the gym, which looked down inside of the main battling chamber, where a familiar-looking but aged man was standing with his arms crossed over his chest, side by said with an equally-familiar young boy.

"Goldeen, get us in there!" Misty gripped her precious Pokémon with both arms. As deftly as it would in a lake, the Goldeen surged through the wave, as if dragging the wave along behind it, moving toward the open window. The wave was weakening, but maintained enough momentum to fling them through the window, where the two girls and the aquatic Pokémon plummeted toward the ground. The last remnants of the wave helped them land smoothly inside, and the girls now stood in the gym's main battle arena, which was slowly being drenched by the sprinkler system and left the girls standing in ankle-deep water.

"Good work Goldeen!" Misty shouted as a crimson flash drew the Pokémon back into its Poké Ball. Their hands shot in unison to their belts, withdrawing two other Poké Balls ready to be thrown in an instant. "You're not going to destroy this gym!" Misty yelled warningly at the two figures.

"I feel so cool…" May giggled under her breath before getting a scathing look from Misty and quickly turning serious again. "I mean yeah! This stops at once!"

"Misty, it's good to see you again." The middle-aged man at the front of the gym turned and acknowledged her with a comfortable smile. "It's also good to see that you haven't given in to this insanity."

"…Wait a second…I know you, you're Flint!" Misty exclaimed, relaxing for a moment.

Indeed, the man they had seen through the window was Brock's father, grizzled and aged but otherwise a spitting image of their long-time travelling companion. And beside him stood Flint's second eldest son Forrest, the freshly-minted leader of Pewter Gym, though he looked too tense and nervous to acknowledge the girls' presence.

"Still holding out hope that your Pokémon will be able to defeat ours, Flint?" another voice asked from the other side of the gym. The two girls looked, and were astonished to see what looked like a legion of men and women in uniform, some-police issue, and others a strange new black outfit with a logo of a caged Poké Ball on the shoulder. They stood facing the former Gym Leader in a long row, with Pokémon of all kinds standing by their sides.

"However strong a former Gym Leader can be, he can't hope to defeat an army," the man in the middle announced, his police uniform marked with a gold star. "Surrender your Pokémon and this can end peacefully right now. There doesn't need to be any blood shed."

"Blood? They wouldn't… oh…" May's eyes flitted toward Flint, seeing him still standing strong and proud in front of the impossible threat. Her gaze focused past him, however, on the room behind him. The door was cracked partway open, and through it she could see many small eyes and hands peering out at the confrontation. "The children are… in the gym…"

"This isn't about blood or even the law," Flint replied in a powerful voice. "If you seek to capture Pokémon like this, rip them away from their friends and families, you might as well do it to children as well, or any other human being. This is about pride, this is about humanity, and I will not allow you to destroy everything our society has built by enforcing this ridiculous law…_sheriff_."

"Yeah!" Forrest agreed, his voice shaking only slightly. He snatched a Poké Ball off of his own belt, clutching it tightly in one fist. "Forget the law, we won't let you do this!"

"Neither will we!" Misty announced her support. Misty and May charged toward the father and son team, sliding to a stop on one side of them and facing the threat with Poké Balls in hand.

"You realize this is hopeless…" May gulped.

"Didn't you learn _anything_ from your time travelling with Ash? Nothing is hopeless." Misty's words of encouragement belied the fear she could feel churning deep down in her stomach. "We're just going to have to improvise and work together as a team."

"Right," May nodded and set her mouth in a grim line.

"Enough of this foolishness." The sheriff of the Pewter City Police Department raised his hand toward the four of them. "Attack."

* * *

_**SCREEEEEEEEEECH!**_

Brock slammed on the brakes and the jeep cleared the tree line of Viridian Forest, and Pewter City came into view. And for a long moment, all he could do was sit there and stare at the sight before him.

"Oh no…" Ash murmured from beside him. "Pewter…"

"We're too late…" Brock whispered as he climbed out of the jeep and stood at the city limits, his attention focused upon a large building toward the center of town. A building both boys recognized immediately as the Pewter City Gym and were horrified to see that it was the source of the biggest plumes of smoke rising into the air around the city. Its mostly stone structure kept it from completely crumbling, but even then, the gym seemed beyond salvation.

"Brock…" Ash started, walking up beside him. "I'm sorry…"

"Chu, chuuu…" Pikachu added her sympathy from Ash's shoulder.

"…No," Brock said, an unwavering calm in his voice. "It's not over yet. The Gym's still standing. My family might still be fighting. I have to get down there and help them."

"Pika!" Pikachu seemed to agree, leaping forward off of Ash's shoulder.

"H-hey, wait a second…!" Ash interrupted, catching Pikachu mid-leap and pulling her back into his arms.

Pikachu blinked in surprise, flailing for a second before twisting in Ash's hands and glancing up at him. "Pi? Pikapi, chu?!" she squeaked in protest.

"Ash, stop messing around, we have to go do something!" Brock insisted, turning an intense stare on the younger boy.

"But Brock, if we go down there, our Pokémon will be at risk!"

"My _family_ is at risk!"

"But they could get captured…!" Ash countered, holding Pikachu protectively tighter.

"Nnnhh, stay here if you want, then, but I'm going down there!" Brock snapped, and leapt back into the jeep.

"Pika, pikachu-pi!" Pikachu shouted in response, squirming out of Ash's grip.

"Wh--hey! Pikachu?!" Ash made a second grab for her, but missed this time, and his friend sprang nimbly up into the jeep.

"Pika pi-KA!" she shouted back at Ash from the front seat, staring at him adamantly.

"Nnhhh…" Ash growled silently to himself. He didn't want to put any of his Pokémon at risk of capture like this, especially not Pikachu. But with her refusing to go anywhere but to the gym with Brock, it didn't seem like he had a choice…

"Ash, are you coming or not?!" Brock demanded.

"…Nnnhh…wait for me!" he finally responded, and jumped back into the jeep a split second before Brock slammed on the gas and tore into town.

* * *

Misty didn't have much time to think. Coming straight at her was a wall of Pokémon, bent on bringing the entire gym down around her and everyone else within it. It was an intimidating line, with everything from a Blastoise to a Poliwrath to a Feraligatr coming toward her…

_Wait a second…_ Misty thought, blinking in surprise as she looked again at the attacking line. A second later it dawned on her; most of the attackers' Pokémon were water types. They must have expected resistance from the Pewter Gym, she reasoned to herself, and loaded up on water types to combat the gym's Pokémon, the majority of whom were sure to be rock types.

Well, that was just fine by her.

"You're gonna regret trying to drown out the water-type master!" Misty warned them. "Starmie, Staryu, give 'em a double Swift attack!"

Misty tossed out two Poké Balls at once, her pair of star-shaped Pokémon bursting forth from them and firing twin flurries of stars from the jewels in the center of their bodies. The front of the attacking line of water types stumbled under the attack, and returned fire with water guns and bubble-beams at their masters' orders, but Misty's Pokémon were highly trained, and the water attacks washed harmlessly over them.

May meanwhile wracked her brain, trying to figure out the best way to help. "I can't use Blaziken, fire types are weak against water…" she murmured to herself. "Think, May, what beats water….I don't have any electric types like Pikachu…wait, I know! Grass types! I can use Venusa--…" Her thoughts ground to a halt at that, physically and mentally wincing as she remembered a moment too late that no, she couldn't use Venusaur, could quite possibly never see Venusaur again…

"May, what are you doing?! Snap out of it!" Misty shouted.

"…I-I…I don't know what to do…!" she murmured.

Misty clenched a fist tensely, and chanced a glance across from her. Flint and Forrest were battling together as well and putting up a diligent fight with Forrest's Geodude and Flint's Graveller, but between the water Pokemon's attacks and the steady downpour of water from the gym's sprinkler system, the poor rock Pokémon were barely hanging on. Before long they would be out of commission entirely, and with May freezing up, Misty was starting to realize she'd be standing alone against the onslaught…

But just then, inspiration struck. _Freezing up…that's it!_ she thought.

"May, listen to me!" Misty ordered. "Send out Glaceon!"

"Wh-what?" May stuttered. "Why?"

"Just trust me, do it!" she insisted. "Starmie, Staryu, use Surf together and make the biggest wave you can!"

May slowly nodded and at last tossed out a Poké Ball, her Glaceon bursting forth from it a moment later, while in the meantime Misty's pair of Pokémon focused hard on the slowly-rising pool of water they stood in. Their bright red jewels emitted a sudden glow, and in response the water churned and frothed around them, being drawn toward the pair of Pokémon like magnets.

"May, get ready to have Glaceon use Ice Beam!"

"O-okay!" May nodded. "Glaceon, use Ice--"

"No, not yet! Wait for it!"

May stopped short, not at all sure what Misty was thinking, but instinctively trusting the former Gym leader. Both girls watched as Misty's Pokémon gathered water around them, the Surf wave building higher and higher, looming over their opponent Pokémon like an unstoppable wall, making Pokémon and master alike take a few steps backward.

"Wait for it…!" Misty murmured.

The wave built higher and higher, nearly high enough to reach the ceiling, and though the water Pokémon on the other side would not feel much effect, many of the other types, as well as their masters, were suddenly gulping in fear.

"Starmie, Staryu, pull back! May, NOW!" Misty commanded.

May nodded, finally getting it. "Glaceon, Ice Beam that wave!"

Glaceon shimmered with freezing cold energy, letting out a melodious cry as it opened its mouth and unleashed a crooked blue beam of energy and swept it across the towering wave, freezing it in seconds and putting a solid wall of ice between them and their attackers.

"Whoa…" Forrest whispered, staring in slack-jawed awe.

"That was some fast thinking, Misty," Flint added. "Thank you. Our Pokémon would not have lasted much longer…"

"But we didn't stop them…!" May countered. "They probably have a couple of fire Pokémon back there, they'll melt the ice in a couple of minutes!"

"That's all we need," Misty said, looking to Flint with a firm, determined gaze. "The sprinkler system should have put out the fire by now, so the Gym should be okay. You two can't do much more good here, your Pokémon can't handle the water…you should get out of here while you can, and get your family to safety, too."

"I'm sorry, Misty, but I'm afraid we can't abandon our gym," Flint said with a shake of his head. "And we certainly can't let you girls stand up to these awful people alone. We're not going anywhere."

Misty blinked in surprise, her hard stare faltering; that was not the answer she'd expected. "No? But your family's in here, they're in danger!"

Now it was Flint's turn to look firm and determined. "I trust my wife to keep the children safe. But I will not run away from this fight and let these ridiculous laws and enforcers destroy my gym or my town."

"M-me neither…I'm gonna fight too," Forrest echoed his father.

Misty growled a little as she stared at Flint, and slowly began to realize that she wasn't going to talk him down. His tone was final. He wasn't going anywhere. Even Forrest, though visibly more nervous than his father, looked just as sure. For better or worse, they were both going to stand and fight with her.

"Nnhh…since when did everyone become as stubborn and bull-headed as Ash…?" she murmured to herself.

"…_Hey, I'm not THAT bad, am I_?"

Misty's head shot up and froze for a handful of seconds, eyes wide, hardly daring to believe her ears. Then she whirled on her heels, and her eyes realized that her ears hadn't lied.

"Oh my god, it's Ash!" May squeaked in surprise.

"And Brock!" Flint and Forrest exclaimed together, smiling broadly.

Misty was the only one who remained silent, because all she could do at that moment was gape in surprise. She almost didn't believe what she was seeing, it seemed so surreal. But there they were, jogging in through the outside door toward her.

Brock, making a beeline for his father and brother, his gaze eternally fixed in that stare that was at once friendly and frightening depending on how he looked at you with it.

Pikachu, who sprinted at top speed and up into her surprised arms, looking as fit and happy as ever and even seemed to have acquired a partner Pikachu that gazed curiously up at Misty from below.

And above all, Ash, who came to a halt just in front of her, looking so much older and wiser than he'd ever been and yet exactly as she remembered him.

"Heh…hey, Misty," he finally said. "…Wasn't expecting to see you and May here."

"…wasn't expecting to see you here either," she managed to reply.

"Pipikachu!" came Pikachu's greeting, nuzzled happily in Misty's familiar arms.

"I guess we have you guys to thank for keeping the Gym from burning down," Ash said, noticing the battle-worn and waterlogged gym arena.

"It was mostly Misty's doing," May told him. "If she hadn't put a Surf wave between us and froze it over, we'd still be fighting right now…"

"Fighting? You mean the Pokémon Enforcers are still here?" Ash demanded, his gaze and tone suddenly as firm as the one Brock's family kept giving.

As if in answer to his question, a bright red glow began to shine through the massive wall of ice, drawing everyone's attention as it glowed dangerously.

"Everyone out of the way!" Ash shouted, grabbing the girls and yanking them to one side.

Just in time, it turned out, for a second later a gigantic wall of flames burst out from the wall of ice, scorching across the spot they had just been standing in and slamming into the wall beyond. And as the flame faded, the small army of law enforcement and their Pokémon came marching through the melted hole in the ice wall, spreading out to face Misty and company once again. Their brief reprieve was over.

"Guess we'll have to finish this reunion later," Ash said with a slight growl, his hand dropping to his belt and the Poké Balls that were attached there. "Everyone get ready…"

Misty couldn't help but admire him for the briefest of moments. His intensity was almost infectious, giving her a warm, confident glow inside, the faith in herself that yes, they could win this fight…they WOULD win this fight.

"We're with you, Ash…!" Misty assured him, standing firmly at his side.

"Thanks, Misty," he said, giving her that familiar boyish smirk she knew so well, and looked back at their opponents. "Alright guys…let's do this!"

"RIGHT!" his friends all nodded, rallying in a line with him, and with a few bursts of light, they had a row of their own Pokémon standing ready.

And as though emboldened by Ash's very presence, it was Misty who stepped up to strike first.

"Starmie, Staryu…GO!"

* * *

Comments and critiques are welcomed and appreciated, as always.


	8. Beneath the Surface

Author's notes: No more excuses or vague promises. Chapters will be up when they're up. Sorry if it continues to take as long as this did.  


* * *

**Divided we Stand**

By CidGregor and Dragonshadow

* * *

_Chapter Seven: Beneath the Surface

* * *

_

Somewhere deep in the wilderness, in the uncultivated, untamed outer edge of the Kanto region, there was a small clearing in the middle of a thick cluster of trees. It was barely visible even from the air, and impossible to see on the ground unless you were practically right next to it. Even getting to it would be an extremely impressive feat, as the forest itself grew atop a plateau, virtually inaccessible on all sides unless you were a skilled rock-climber, and even then you would have to navigate through the thick trees with expert precision before you had a hope of finding the clearing. Virtually no one on the planet had seen it.

But if you _could_ see it, you'd find that there was a small, concrete bunker in that clearing, the only way inside being an elevator guarded by a pair of men in uniforms of such a dark grey, they were almost black. Each of them wore several Poké Balls on their belts, and each of them, as well as the bunker itself, was stamped with the logo of a blood-red 'R.'

Still, none of it was very visible at all from most any point of view. And anyone who might have gotten close enough to see it would have been stopped well before then by several more men in the same uniforms, stationed discreetly in the woods around the bunker. It was evident that the place was intended to be secretive. Unseen. Hidden.

Of course, it was a lot more difficult for the place to be any of those things when a giant, Meowth-shaped hot air balloon was landing right in front of it.

"Hey hey hey, get that thing out of here!" one of the door guards demanded, rushing up to the balloon. Its occupants, however, didn't seem to care.

"Move aside, lackey!" Jessie announced with an upturned nose, shoving the guard out of the way with a long, gloved arm. "Make way for the Boss' most trusted agents!"

"Oooh, did he really say that about us?" James lit up with delight. "I feel so accomplished!"

"Oi…youse guys needs 'ta stop livin' in fantasy land," Meowth reprimanded them. "Besides, we all know it was MY genius plannin' skills 'dat got us 'dose twoips' Pokémon!"

"Now now, Meowth, no need to be greedy. There'll be plenty of praise to go around this time," Jessie said confidently, marching up to the bunker.

"Yes, we really came out on top for once! I'd almost forgotten how winning feels!" James agreed.

"Arright, arright, shut yer pie-holes!" Meowth cut them off as they strolled into the elevator. "Let's get 'dis prize to 'da boss already. And don't forget 'ta give 'dat duck an antidote!"

"Hey! What about the balloon?!" the guard yelled after them, but the trio simply laughed to themselves as the elevator doors slid shut.

* * *

"Staryu, Starmie, lay down some cover fire! Double Bubblebeam attack!"

Misty's pair of Pokémon nodded in agreement, tagging one arm-point each together and jointly charging energy in their crystal cores. A moment later they pointed their tagged arms at the enemy line and struck, spraying a torrent of bubbly foam at their opponents. At their masters' commands, however, the opposing Pokémon suddenly shifted ranks. The fire-types and ground-types quickly moved to take cover behind the bulky front line of water-types, who absorbed the twin Bubblebeam attacks with barely a scratch to show for it.

"Hah…! Perfectly predictable…" Misty smirked under her breath. "Ash, quick, before they can move again!"

"Right…!" Ash said, looking down at the two Pikachu before him, and his own Pikachu was already charging up electricity in anticipation of a command, but to Misty's slight surprise, he hesitated for a moment.

"…Ash? What's wrong?"

"…N-nothing!" he brushed her off. "Alright, Pikachu…use Helping Hand and feed AshTwo that charge!"

Pikachu blinked in slight surprise, used to hearing direct attack commands from Ash. But she didn't question it, pouncing a bit behind AshTwo and taking a light grip on his tail.

"Piiiiiii-KA!" she cried out, firing her electric charge at AshTwo's tail like lightning to a conductor. The electricity surged through AshTwo's body, crackling around the two mouse Pokémon until the little red spots on AshTwo's cheeks began to spark with barely-contained electric energy.

"Ash, stop stalling, they're going to move again!" Misty shouted, pointing at the enemy line. And indeed, just as Misty spoke, the water Pokémon were scrambling to move back and the ground Pokémon were rumbling forward.

"I know what I'm doing!" Ash insisted. "Alright…Pikachu, hang back! AshTwo, use Thunder! Give 'em everything you've got!"

Again Pikachu paused for a brief moment at the odd command, as she had been quite ready to fight alongside AshTwo for the long haul. But nevertheless Pikachu trusted her trainer and backed away from the front line, leaving AshTwo to step forward alone.

"Piiiiiiii…CHUUU!" AshTwo cried out, unleashing a huge bolt of electricity straight up into the air. The energy arced near the ceiling and tore back down toward the opposing Pokémon, but the delays and hesitation proved to have been too great, as the handful of ground-types were in place to take the brunt of the electricity by the time it reached them. A couple of Sandslash and a Graveler winced just slightly, but otherwise the Thunder attack was rendered ineffective.

"Ash, what was that about? Stop stalling!" Misty snapped over at him.

"I know what I'm doing…!" Ash insisted, but his teeth we gritted slightly in a way that Misty had seen on his face many times before that said no, he really wasn't completely sure what he was doing.

A second later the enemy line made its move. A pair of Blastoise near the back unleashed a duet of Hydro Cannon blasts like mortar launchers, rising over the heads of their fellows in a high, slow arc and coming down toward the bare half-dozen humans on the other side.

"Take cover!" Brock shouted.

"I've got this!" Misty announced. "Starmie, Staryu, double Barrier!"

Her own pair of Pokémon zipped into action. As one they spun in a rapid circle and hovered into the air, shifting beneath the arc of the water and emitting a soft white bubble of light around their bodies. The Hydro Cannons plowed into the bubbles, forcing Staryu and Starmie back a few feet, but the blunt force of the water was otherwise deflected and showered the rest of their party rather harmlessly.

"Resourceful…" the Sheriff commented with a slight nod of his head. "But you're only delaying the inevitable. This is your last chance. Surrender yourselves and your Pokémon before anyone else gets hurt."

"As soon as you do the same, _Sheriff_," came Flint's sneering reply.

"You certainly speak boldly for someone with a family at risk, old man."

"No one is touching our family!" Brock slid forward, standing protectively in front of his father and younger brother. "Forrest, you need to get your brothers and sisters out of here. Mom too. Go!"

"What?! But Brock--!"

"This isn't a debate, Forrest, this is serious danger! Get them out of here, NOW!"

Forrest recoiled slightly, frightened for a moment by Brock's intensity that was even greater than that which he showed as a gym leader. But he eventually nodded and turned tail, sprinting toward the door where the rest of Brock's family watched from.

"Touching, really," the sheriff drawled. "But again, futile…"

"You won't be talking so big when we wipe that arrogant smirk off your face," Brock growled.

"Hey, Brock!"

The former Gym leader whirled back toward the voice of his brother. The boy had paused at the door, holding a familiar orb in his hand.

"Give 'em hell bro!" he said, tossing the ball at Brock.

Brock caught it smoothly, and smiled at the comfortable weight he felt within it. "You know I will…" he echoed, turning back toward the fight. "You wanna mess with this Gym? You're gonna get its full power." He threw the ball out to the center of the arena. "GO, STEELIX!"

A huge flash of white filled the room, and the creature that had phased into existence once it faded seemed no less huge by comparison. Steelix's massive snakelike form coiled halfway across the room, the once-rough and gritty rock segments of its body now smooth, sleek and shiny steel. Its head reared up high over the heads of even the tallest of the other Pokémon in the room, letting out a low, heavy roar.

"Steelix, plow through that line with Iron Tail!" Brock commanded.

Steelix rumbled its agreement, the whole back segment of its long tail suddenly glowing white. It whipped forward a second later toward the enemy Pokémon, who scrambled to get out of the way, though a good handful of them were smacked around by the massive swipe of Steelix's tail.

"Irrelevant," the sheriff blew off the attack. "You think we were not prepared for your Steelix? Nidoking, Earthquake!"

The sheriff's Nidoking roared right back at Steelix and raised one heavy foot, slamming it back into the ground. In an instant the rocky, earthen floor cracked beneath its foot, and the crack split its way straight at Steelix, who could not hope to move out of the way fast enough. The ground beneath the massive steel snake suddenly became wildly unstable, ripping and cracking until Steelix was half-buried in the ground and roaring in pain as the rocks jabbed into its weak spots.

"No! Steelix!" Brock shouted vainly.

"Call it back, Brock!" Misty shouted. "You won't be able to heal it if it gets seriously hurt, we can't go to Pokémon Centers anymore!"

Brock growled stubbornly for a moment, but slowly conceded to Misty's logic, recalling Steelix back to its Poké Ball. "Nnhhh…this is ridiculous…!"

"All of our Pokémon are at risk now!" Ash echoed Misty. "We can't afford to let them get hurt fighting a battle like this!"

"Ash's right," May agreed. "We have to get out of here…!"

"We can't abandon the Gym!" Brock countered, his voice tense.

"We have no choice, Brock," Flint admitted. "The only thing that matters is that our family and our Pokémon are safe. The Gym can be rebuilt someday, but lives can't. We have to pull back. This is an unwinnable fight."

"But…!" Brock growled again, visibly unwilling to admit to their logic.

"We need a way to cover our escape," May said quickly, her eyes lighting up after a moment. "Hey, Misty…didn't you have a Gyarados?"

Misty nodded curtly, not taking her eyes off the enemy line. "Yeah, why?"

"Send it out. It's MY turn to have an idea."

"You sure?"

"Just for a minute, trust me!"

Misty nodded again, withdrawing her Staryu and Starmie and snatching a third Poké Ball. "Misty calls….GYARADOS!"

Almost as a mirror image of Brock's motions, Misty's equally huge Pokémon burst out in a big flash of white and another gigantic snake-like figure had filled the room. Its massive frame and huge, snarling face were the stuff of nightmares, and its roar was downright vicious, sending intimidated shivers down the collective spines of their enemies.

"Okay, now what?" Misty asked. "Hurry before they can use any electric attacks!"

"Use a Dragon Rage, quick!" May ordered.

"Do it, Gyarados!" Misty relayed without question. "Dragon Rage!"

Gyarados' eyes shone with fiery green energy at its trainer's command. The whole building slowly seemed to start shaking in response, the energy building up and swirling around Gyarados' body as if being conjured out of thin air. The energy slowly grew, until the specks of greenish energy grew into full-fledged flames, whipping around in erratic circles and waiting to be unleashed

"Now, Glaceon! Another Ice Beam!" May directed.

Glaceon let out its soft, wispy cry and glowed a cold blue for a moment, firing its Ice Beam again, straight into the Dragon Rage attack. And to Misty's amazement, though the sparks of energy quickly froze over, they continued to whirl around Gyarados' body, still fully under control. Only now instead of a cyclone of dragon energy, it was now a whirlwind of hundreds and hundreds of small but sharp and wicked-looking ice shards.

"Whoa…" Misty marveled.

"Learned that one from a contest battle," May said with a grim smile. "Dazzled the judges so much they didn't know who to give more credit to, me or my opponent."

"Effective, too," Misty noticed. "Okay, Gyarados, hold that attack as long as you can! Everyone else out!"

The group collectively nodded their agreement, withdrawing their Pokémon to their Poké Balls save for Pikachu, who hopped up on Ash's shoulder as he headed for the door, and Gyarados, who kept the whirlwind of ice whipping around the center of the arena, blocking their enemies. Only Brock hung back, staring longingly at the Gym's interior.

"……" Silently he glared across the room, meeting eyes with the sheriff and murmuring under his breath. "…You won't get away with this…"

A second later he too finally turned and ran for the door, and it wasn't until he and everyone else had piled into the jeep parked outside that Misty finally recalled Gyarados, sending the whirlwind of ice shards rocketing in all directions. None dared look inside to see the kind of damage it caused as Brock gunned the engine and peeled out of there, but it made no difference anymore.

The Gym had been taken.

* * *

_**Bzzzt.**_ _"Boss, sir?"_

A man in a faded orange business suit looked up from his computer, his cold eyes glaring at the intercom a little further down the desk. Roughly he jabbed the button and growled. "What is it?"

"_A couple of the Rockets are insisting on an audience with you,"_ a disinterested voice droned through in response._ "They're rather scrappy-looking and they have a talking Meowth with them."_

The man grimaced almost painfully. "What do those idiots want?"

"_They say they have some quality Pokémon to offer."_

"I rather doubt that," the man countered, running a hand over his slicked-back hair in annoyance.

"_Shall I have them dismissed?"_

"No, don't bother…they're too thick to take the hint. Send them in, I'll deal with them."

"_Right away, Mister Giovanni."_

The man known as Giovanni leaned back in his chair and reached down to stroke the head of the sleek, perfectly-groomed Persian that sat beside him. "I suppose they'll offer me a rare Magikarp…or that blasted Pikachu they won't shut up about…"

"Mrrreooww…" the Persian responded, leaning its head into its master's strokes.

"Don't worry, my pet, I won't let those dimwits waste more than a few minutes of our time. We have far more important things to take care of…"

A second later the office doors were flung open, and Jessie, James and Meowth strode in with confident grins and, to Giovanni's surprise – mild though it was – a pair of Poké Balls in their outstretched hands.

"Mister Giovanni sir, we bring you an over-WHELM-ing success!" Jessie announced proudly.

"Success like you've never ever seen!" James added.

"Yeah, 'da kind that comes from youse twos…" Meowth snickered.

Jessie quickly silenced him with a boot to the face, all smiles at Giovanni. "If we may present our capture…?"

Giovanni growled softly. "This had better be good…" he said, the Persian beside him hissing as though in warning.

James nodded rapidly. "Oh yes, it's very good, boss, you'll see…"

The two Rockets took a step back, and tossed their two Poké Balls in unison into the center of the room. "Poké Ball, GO!"

A burst of light filled the room for a moment, and when it faded, the captured Venusaur and Psyduck had appeared in the office. Venusaur remained fast asleep from the sleep powder attack that had defeated it, but Psyduck was wide awake and clutching its cranium as always, the wounds it suffered from Jessie's Seviper already healed by the Rockets' doctors.

Giovanni eyed the pair of Pokémon critically. "Hmmnnhh…better than I expected from you two, at least…"

James grinned wide at Jessie. "Yeeeee! Did you hear that? He likes them!" he murmured privately to her.

"Maybe we'll get a promotion…!" Jessie added dreamily.

"I'd just like ta' point out dat it was all MY idea!" Meowth boasted.

"Nnhh, would you three shut up?!" Giovanni growled.

The threesome froze in place, and jerked to attention, mouths snapping shut.

Giovanni returned his attention to the Pokémon, looking each of them over, studying them. "…The Venusaur could be useful. I'll see to it that it is sent to the storage facility. Dispose of the Psyduck, it's useless to me."

Jessie twitched slightly. "…Dispose of it?"

"Psy?!" the little Pokémon quacked in surprise.

"Do you have a problem with that?" the boss said with a glare.

"B-but boss, _dis_ Psyduck is special," Meowth interjected.

"I don't need a Pokémon with a perpetual headache. Put it out of its misery," Giovanni repeated.

"But that's just it, sir…observe!" James said, whipping out a frying pan.

Jessie yelped in surprise. "Not our good frying pan!"

"Sacrifices for the cause, Jessie!" James announced, and swung the frying pan down, whacking Psyduck in the head with it.

"PSYYYYY-YAIYAIYAI!!" the poor Pokémon wailed in pain, waddling around in a circle and clutching its head tightly.

Giovanni growled in annoyance, covering his ears. "Shut that nuisance up!"

"Just wait, boss, you'll see!" Meowth insisted, and brought down a clawed fist on Psyduck's head.

"PSYYYYYYY!!!" it wailed again, stubby little limbs flailing.

"Mrrreeeeeeeooowww!!" the Persian yowled, hissing and spitting at the Psyduck and really only adding to the assault on their eardrums.

"Enough! Get it out of here!" Giovanni barked, rounding his desk in annoyance. He swung a leg out, booting Psyduck in the head and flinging it toward the door, but that would be the last straw.

"_PSY!_" the Pokémon yelped suddenly, freezing in midair just in front of the door, its eyes glowing a pale blue.

"What the…?" he murmured, standing still and staring at it.

"Mreow?" the Persian tilted its head, staring as well by its master's feet.

Jessie, James and Meowth, however, all dove behind his desk at once. "TAKE COVER!"

The maneuver proved to be rather useless, however. Psyduck's glowing eyes flashed bright enough to fill the room, and before Giovanni knew what was happening he was being lifted off the ground, as was everything else in the office that wasn't bolted down. His desk, the trio of Rockets hiding behind it, the Persian, even the great, heavy Venusaur all hovered a foot or two off the ground, flailing uselessly for more sure footing.

"_PSY!_" the Psyduck shouted again, and this time everyone in the room except the Venusaur were flung roughly into the walls, and pinned there while the contents of Giovanni's desk suddenly burst out of the drawers and flew at the hapless Rockets, pelting them over and over.

"Aaaauugghh…!" Giovanni snarled, trying to shield his face from the onslaught of empty Poké Balls and heavy paperweights. "How do you stop that thing…?!"

"I'm sure it will--OW--run out of power--OW--eventually, sir--OWW!" Jessie assured him, even as she was herself being pummeled with pens and staplers.

Sure enough, just as Jessie said so, Psyduck began to calm down, drifting back to the floor and losing the pale blue glow in its eyes. It raised its hands to its head again and gave a quiet quack, and a split second later everything else in the room dropped painfully to the floor.

"Mrrooowww-owww…" the Persian groaned, struggling to its feet.

"Nnnhhh…" Giovanni growled, staring at the little duck Pokémon. "A _Psyduck_ with psychic powers _that_ strong…?"

"See, boss? We toldja 'dat duck was special!" Meowth reminded him.

"Whenever its headache gets bad, it unleashes amazing psychic powers!" James added.

"I know that, idiot!" he snarled. "But I've never seen one with psychic power THIS strong…"

"Yes, we've learned that the hard way…" James said with a wince of pain.

"More than once, I might add…" Jessie agreed.

"…Hmmmhh…" Giovanni murmured to himself, looking at Psyduck with much greater interest now. "Unprecedented psychic powers…but only when its headache is bad…interesting…"

"So you like it…?" Jessie smiled hopefully.

"…Yes…I can put this Psyduck to VERY good use…" Giovanni nodded, a sinister smile growing on his face. It was quickly masked, however, as he whirled toward his underlings. "Good work, you three. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some important business to take care of…"

"Er…what kind of business, sir?" James probed.

"The _private_ kind. Out!" he snarled.

The three Rockets jolted into action. "Right away sir!" they squeaked in unison, and sped out of the room.

The moment they were gone, Giovanni picked up the intercom from the floor where it had fallen, and pressed the button.

_**Bzzt. **_"_Yes, Giovanni, sir?_"

"Put me through to the science team…" Giovanni answered, grinning darkly at Psyduck again. "I have another psychic Pokémon to add to our…_special_ collection…"

* * *

Comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated, as always.


End file.
